Like Whiskey, Like Beer
by FeudalAi
Summary: Love is a complicated, messy thing, that often lives in grey zones; where people often make mistakes and the bounds of one's forgiveness is tested. They never meant to mean anything more to each other than just a simple one night stand, but fate had other plans. Feelings entwine. Emotions burst. Their worlds bend and fold as they desperately try to remain just 'friends'. Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

Ice clinked against the side of her drink as small beads of condensation began to gather on her glass. She frowned slightly, biting the inside of her cheek as she gently swirled the whiskey. With a heavy sigh, she rose the glass to her lips and took a long-suffering sip. It burned slightly on its way down and she relished in the small feeling as she swallowed. With heavy eyes, she glanced around the bar. It was a cozy place, stuffed with TVs and people watching whatever sport game was on. Some kind of country music played lazily in the background, only just loud enough to hear over the gentle roar of the crowd. She sighed and rolled her shoulders, begging the stress from the last year to go away. Lifting her glass once more, she downed the remaining contents. She pinched her eyes shut as the familiar burn echoed down her throat.

She peered at the worn bar in front of her. Scratches speckled its surface, declaring its age. Silently, she wondered if her face looked the same. Thinking back on her youth, twenty-eight felt ancient. Her teeth ground together and she ordered another whiskey on the rocks.

Today had sucked, in more ways than one.

It was like nothing would go right. Everything, absolutely everything, had to find a way to tear her down today. Like signing her divorce papers hadn't been hard enough, getting rear-ended sure hadn't helped to improve her day.

The bartender set down her drink in front of her and she lazily reached for the glass. She lifted it, her elbow resting on the slightly sticky bar, as she gazed off into nothingness, her mind lost in the past. Lost in thoughts about her job, about her life, about everything that had gone wrong, and about _him_. She gritted her teeth together, tasting blood as she accidentally snagged the edge of her tongue.

Just then, that's when it happened.

Someone shoved into her back, pushing her forward. Her free hand grabbed the edge of the bar in a desperate attempt to steady herself. Still, her gut slammed into the hard wood and she keeled over, her grip on her glass loosening until she dropped it and it clashed against the bar, spilling its contents on the front of her shirt. She felt the dark liquid weave its way beneath her clothes as it dribbled between her breasts. Her eyebrow twitched in irritation.

Seriously, nothing was going right today.

With deliberate movements, she straightened up her now empty glass before she slowly spun around on her stool, pinning her attacker with a deadly and debilitating gaze. Before her stood a pink-haired, well-muscled, man. His mouth was open, gaping like a fish. He looked more than a little shocked as he stared into her brown eyes.

"Well, are you going to say anything?" She snapped, wincing slightly at the anger she heard in her voice.

Her words jarred him into action. He straightened up, his open mouth snapping shut, as he took a step closer to her. "Oh shit." He muttered. His voice was deeper than she had expected, velvety almost. "I'm so sorry." He grimaced, throwing a disdainful look over his shoulder at one of his compatriots out in the crowd. "Fuck you, Gajeel!" He nearly spit the words before his tense posture relaxed and he ran his hand through his pink locks. He looked at her again, his dark eyes carefully analyzing her, and she suddenly felt subconscious. She became extremely aware of the fact that she was covered in high-quality booze, plastering her shirt to her skin, clearly outlining the swell of her breasts. Quickly, she crossed her arms over her chest the best that she could. "I'm so, so sorry. Can I, um, get you another?"

Without knowing what to say, suddenly feeling tongue-tied, she simply nodded. He grinned, wide and infectious, before he slid onto the surprisingly open barstool beside her. He quirked his head at her and she was suddenly struck by how handsome he was, regardless of his weird choice in hair color. He had a wide jawbone, angular in the most fantastic way. A large scar decorated his right cheek, yet it didn't distract from his appeal, only managing to heighten it instead. A white scarf hung loosely around his neck, drawing her attention to his barely visibly clavicle. She could see, from his tight black shirt, that he worked out. The muscles in his arms were taught, flexing slightly as he waved to the bartender to re-order her spilled drink. She gulped, her mouth suddenly going dry as her thoughts drifted to forbidden places. With a lurch, she realized just how long it had been for her. Nearly a year, she reckoned. She swallowed, the motion harsh and dry, before she forced her eyes to once again meet his nervous gaze.

The bartender set down a new drink in front of her before quickly wiping up the spilled alcohol and taking away her empty glass. It was then that the abnormally hot stranger spoke again. "My name's Natsu." He stuck out his hand and she reached for it, hating how sticky her fingers felt from the drying whiskey as she gently squeezed his outstretched hand.

"Lucy." She replied. He smiled and his eyes flashed down the front of her shirt, noticing just how drenched she truly was.

"Why don't you go wash up? I'll watch your spot."

She narrowed her eyes at him slightly before her gaze flicked to her drink. He laughed, the sound full of mirth.

"I won't touch your drink, promise."

She was about to decline his offer when she moved slightly and felt the way that her shirt was sticking to her stomach. She grimaced, hating the feeling. With a resigned sigh, she nodded. "Thanks, I'll be right back." She shot him a warning glance and he put his hands up, proclaiming innocence, and she couldn't help but smile slightly before she pushed her way through the crowd and into the small, two-stall, bathroom. She leaned over the sink, analyzing her reflection in the mirror before she turned on the tap. Water gushed from the spout and she quickly scooped up a handful of it to wet down her shirt. The water was cold as it seeped through her shirt and she shivered slightly. Still, a wet shirt was better than a whiskey-soaked one. She reached for a paper towel, wetting it slightly, before she ran it over the top of her breasts, removing any of the sticky liquid that stubbornly clung there. It took a little bit of time standing under the blow dryer for her to feel a semblance better. With her clothes nearly dried, she looked in the mirror one last time. She pushed her long, blonde hair behind her ear, staring disdainfully at her tired, brown eyes.

With a heavy sigh, she reached into her purse and snagged out her tube of light pink lipstick. She parted her plump lips and gently re-applied the soft color. She rubbed her lips together as she glanced one last time at her reflection. Deeming herself ready, or about as ready as she would ever be, she left the bathroom and made her way back to her barstool. She spied Natsu's muscled back as she made her way through the crowd and a wanton thought invaded her head like a persistent virus.

Maybe, tonight she could allow herself a little bit of fun.

After all, she was now officially divorced. She had no obligations holding her back tonight, no one to go home to. She never allowed herself to fall into the embrace of needless, physical, love. But, tonight… Tonight she might just let herself soar.

When she sat back down on her seat, she noticed his smile. It lit up every corner of his face, making the entire place seem somehow brighter. "You're back." He almost sounded surprised. He took a sip of his own drink, some kind of craft beer, before he fully turned in his seat to look at her.

"Of course I am." She shrugged, reaching for the intoxication that her drink would provide. She took a big gulp, letting the liquid-burn fuel the growing heat in her body.

"I kind of thought you might run out the back, I mean, I did spill your drink all down your…" His eyes traveled down to the heave of her breasts and her cheeks flushed pink before his gaze darted back to his beer.

"Well, I need to have a bit of fun tonight so I'm not going to let some little mishap get in the way." She admitted, the words softer than she had anticipated. She frowned slightly before she covered her lips with the edge of her glass, staring down into the dark liquid for a long moment before she looked at him again. His eyes had widened slightly, almost imperceptibly, but she knew that he had caught her meaning.

"Oh?" He questioned. He leaned forward slightly, his elbow resting on the dark wood of the bar as he closed off the space between them. Suddenly, he was only mere inches from her and the space between them seemed hot, ignited by alcohol and innuendo.

She nodded, a soft 'mhm' floating from her closed lips.

He leaned back slightly, adjusting his scarf, before he smirked confidently at her. "So, Luce… Who are you?" He question, albeit innocent, rattled her.

She gulped and looked away, her nerve suddenly leaving her. "What do you mean?"

She felt him shift beside her as he reached for his beer. "Like, what do you do for a living? Or, do I just get to know your name?"

She rolled her eyes, chastising herself for immediately thinking that for some random reason he had figured out who she truly was, who her father had been… She gulped, chasing away the memories of constraining dresses and tight corsets, of formal parties and the names of endless pieces of silverware, of restriction, of a jeweled prison… She chased away the memories of the life she had long ago given up, only witnessed now by the money that resided within the trust fund bequeathed to her.

She plastered on a smile and tilted her head to look at him, aware that the angle of her head made her golden hair fall down along the crest of her breasts, outlining one of her most prominent features. "I'm a teacher with an unhealthy obsession with stars."

His eyes swallowed her in, exactly as she had wanted. "How can an obsession with stars be unhealthy?"

She shrugged, swallowing more of her delectable drink and relishing in the way it fueled her speech. "I guess it isn't really _unhealthy_ , per say, but spending countless hours attempting to find the constellations at night probably isn't the best use of my time." She rolled her wrist, loving the way it made the dark liquid slosh inside her glass. It was almost empty already, the trail ends of it clinging to the unmelted cubes as she leaned her head back, swallowing the last few droplets. Natsu eyed her and she felt a wave of heat crash through her. She shivered as goosebumps rose on her arms, tingling her flesh as she rested the glass back on the bar. He had inched closer to her again. Regardless of the noise and bustle of the crowd around them, she wasn't aware of anyone but him. All she could see was his handsome face and weird, pink hair. She reached forward, her thin fingers snagging one of his pink locks, and rubbed the soft hair between her thumb and forefinger. "What's up with the pink hair?"

He laughed, the sound soft and playful, and she withdrew her hand. "It was a bet. I lost, so I'm stuck with pink hair for a year." He shrugged and rolled his eyes. "It's salmon though, not pink. But, I kind of like it."

She analyzed him. She knew that she had only just met him and that she had no idea how he even looked with whatever his natural hair color was, but she suddenly couldn't even picture him without his abnormal, salmon-colored hair. "It looks good on you." She conceded. Instantly, he beamed.

"Want another?" He motioned to their empty drinks and she nodded. Quickly, he ordered them each another round. She knew that this drink would be her last; three was all she ever allowed herself outside of the house. Within minutes, the efficient bartender had laid down their order before them.

"So…" Lucy began as she took a small sip of the alcoholic liquid. "What do you do?"

He shrugged, rolling his shoulder as if to ease an old wound before he answered. "I'm a firefighter."

A thrill rushed down her spine as she imagined him in his firefighting gear. With a soft smirk, she realized that he was the perfect person for what she needed tonight. "That can't be an easy job."

"Neither can teaching." He replied. His smile was true and genuine as he scooted his chair closer to hers. Their thighs rubbed together, sending tendrils of need throughout her body. She squirmed slightly, pressing her thigh a bit closer to his own. She wasn't used to this feeling anymore. It was a foreign, strange entity that invaded her body. It had been so long since she had caved and allowed herself to give in to what her body so desperately wanted.

She laughed, the sound light. "I guess that's true. It's definitely not easy, but it sure is rewarding." She felt his hand on her knee before she saw it. He placed it there lightly, tentatively, testing her. When she didn't push him away or jerk her knee out of his grip, his fingers gently dug into her skin. His thumb rubbed a gentle pattern against the inside of her thigh, igniting a sharp burst of need within the pit of her stomach.

She nearly moaned.

They fell into conversation smoothly and effortlessly. They didn't discuss anything serious, they just filled the silence with noise until they were both so close that their sides were entirely pressed together. His hand had worked its way up her leg, resting mid-thigh, as his fingers danced against the rough fabric of her skin-tight jeans. The sound of the crowd around them had died down slightly as they began to near closing time. It hardly even phased her when he paid for their drinks, seamlessly entwining their hands at the same time. She felt locked in a dazed state as he gently dragged her out of the bar, his hand hot against her own, as they stepped out into the cooling nighttime air. City lights speckled the landscape around them as they maneuvered their way through the interlocking streets. She stayed close to him, her mind fuzzy but her determination clear. She knew what she wanted, she knew what she craved.

He lived close by. Soon, they were in the elevator, climbing up the floors to his apartment. Still, the only way he touched her was by holding her hand. Her lips tingled. She wanted more and the anticipation was killing her. Her thighs rubbed together as she attempted, in vain, to control the need that was spiraling throughout her body. The elevator dinged and they got out on the seventh floor. Quickly, he gently tugged her towards his apartment, unlocking it and allowing her in before he shut the door behind them and flicked on the light. She took in the sight of the small place. It was only a studio apartment, scantily furnished, with a few pictures scattered throughout. A straight-up bachelor pad. She spied a cat curled up on the sofa, but before her mind could contemplate the odd blueish tint to the cat's fur, Natsu's lips were on hers.

She gasped, her mouth opening at his silent demand. He pressed her back against the wall and her hands came up, wrapping around the back of his head, as she pulled him closer to her. His tongue invaded her mouth and she couldn't help but think that she must taste like whiskey, just like how he tasted like beer. His hands brushed under the edges of her shirt, his slightly calloused fingers igniting her senses.

Oh, it had been so long since someone had touched her like that.

His hands wove around the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. She arched against him, driving her breasts into his toned chest. His arms flexed around her and he growled slightly, the sound deep and guttural. She felt him moving her, but she was barely aware of their surroundings as he picked her up, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist, as he carried her over to the bed. He knelt down on the mattress, gently lowering her down to rest her head on top of a surprisingly comfortable pillow. He stayed on top of her, his heat pressing down on her and making her head swirl. Eagerly, she pulled at his shirt. He leaned back, a smirk playing on his face, as he unwound his scarf and tossed off his shirt. She ran her fingers down his well-defined abs and he moaned beneath her roaming touch.

It didn't take long before their clothes were discarded and they were both naked. Flesh pressed against flesh as they explored each other's unknown bodies. They fell into each other, a tangle of limbs and lust as they gave into the fire that burned deep within their bellies.

Lucy, for the first time in a year, felt completely and totally satisfied.

When all was said and done, they fell asleep together. Sweaty bodies cooled in the night and he wrapped a blanket around them, his arm weaving around her waist. He held her, firmly and protectively, throughout the night as she fell into slumber, content and fulfilled.

* * *

Dawn broke over the horizon entirely too early. Lucy groaned as she rubbed her eyes. A slight headache began to pound behind her eyes and she grimaced, bemoaning the third drink that she had allowed herself. Slowly, the events from the previous night washed over her and her cheeks flushed pink as she took note of the soft snores from the man behind her. She sat up, carefully lifting his lax arm from around her waist and sliding out of the bed. She stretched, her naked body glistening slightly in the morning light. Her muscles popped and she bent down, searching for her clothes before she began to slip them back on.

A soft 'meow' from behind her startled her. She turned to spy a blue-gray cat staring at her. It stretched out, raising its buttocks into the air as it watched her. She slid on her shirt before she walked over to the creature. She lifted her hand, palm up, to the cat, allowing it to sniff her before she gently scratched behind its ear. It leaned into her, purring softly as she moved her fingers to scratch beneath its chin. Regretfully, she stood up. The cat looked at her as if she had betrayed it. It sat back on its haunches and stared at her as she wandered over to the door and slipped on her sandals. She looked back at Natsu, her one night wonder, and almost felt giddy. The blanket had slipped, barely hiding his most private parts while allowing her greedy eyes to soak in the sight of his muscles. He shifted in his sleep, muttering something beneath his breath, before his soft snores picked up again.

Oddly, she didn't want to leave.

She didn't understand the feeling. She should want to get out of there as soon as possible. After all, that was the go-to feeling after a one night stand. But, for some inexplicable reason, she didn't want to leave his small, studio apartment. She pinched herself, wincing from the pain. He was nice, sure, but there had been a silent, unspoken, agreement that this would be a one time thing. Still, she found herself scratching out her phone number on a piece of paper that she found near the sink. A list of groceries was littered across it, making her balk at the amount of instant ramen and mac and cheese that he, apparently, needed to buy.

Her hand was on the doorknob when she heard him. She froze before she turned back to look at his sleep-mussed hair. He had propped himself up with one arm, his other wiping the sleep out of his tired eyes.

"Luce?" He slurred her name and she flushed at the adorable way it sounded. "Are you leaving?"

She nodded, smiling softly at the man who had given her all that she had needed the night before. "Yea. I have to get going." It was the truth. She had someplace that she needed to be and she really needed a shower. She was pretty sure that her entire body smelled like whiskey, an aftereffect of her spilled drink from the night before. "Plus, I really need a shower." She moaned the words and he smirked.

"Yea, sorry about that. Again." He sat up, the blanket sliding dangerously low. He shifted, seemingly uncomfortable beneath her gaze. "About last night…"

She shook her head, her blonde hair cascading down around her. "Don't worry about it. It was what it was and I… I had a lot of fun. I needed that."

He smirked, his face lighting up. The cat jumped up on the bed beside him and he absentmindedly reached over to rub its head. It leaned into the palm of his hand and Lucy couldn't help but think about how adorable he looked. Biting back the unwanted feelings that rushed her, she turned the doorknob and opened the door.

"Bye, Natsu." She smiled and waved slightly, a blush igniting her cheeks.

"See ya, Luce."

Her blush deepened at the odd way he said her name. A part of her wanted to correct him, but another, larger, part liked the odd nickname. She soaked in his figure one more time, trying to memorize every facet of his being. With a shallow sigh, she left the apartment, closing the door and Natsu from her life. She glanced at her phone, grimacing at the time, before she darted for the elevator.

She needed to get home, and fast.

She hurried out of the building and made fast work of walking the five blocks to her apartment. Her building was old and fancy, architectural detail garnished the ceilings and pillars that held it up. She waved at the doorman and he nodded at her as she made her way to the ornate elevator and hit the button for the fifteenth floor. The elevator sped to its destination as she tapped her foot impatiently. As soon as it hit her floor, she darted towards her apartment and busted through the door. Daylight flickered in through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room as she sprinted towards the master suite. She took a quick shower, relishing in the way the strong water pressure massaged her sore muscles. As soon as she was done, she hurriedly got dressed in a pair of lounge shorts and graphic t-shirt. The words 'The Stars Are My Friends' was printed across her chest, nestled above a cartoonish image of the celestial spirits. She twisted her hair up into a sloppy bun and spattered on the bare minimum amount of make-up.

After all, she didn't want to look like a complete mess when _he_ arrived.

She had only just finished eating some fried eggs on toast, after downing two Exedrin Migraine pills to thwart her pounding headache, when she heard the soft knock on the door. She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she slipped from the stool and headed towards the door. Her heart hammered within her chest and constricted painfully as she gripped the doorknob. Her hand quivered sightly and she begged herself to keep her composure.

She had to.

She couldn't lose it. No matter how much it hurt, she had to keep it together.

She plastered on a fake smile and opened the heavy, wooden door. There, in front of her, stood Gray. His pitch black hair was shaggy and his dark blue eyes were clouded with anxiety. It was a look she had hardly ever seen on his face, but she knew that signing the papers yesterday had rattled him just as much as it had rattled her.

After all, it wasn't like they had got divorced because they had stopped loving each other. They just didn't _work_ together, not like how they should have. They had tried to keep the broken pieces of their relationship together for so long, but it had eventually reached a point where neither of them could manage to fake it anymore. They were perfectly imperfect, perfect friends yet imperfect partners.

That had been the most gut-wrenching realization — for them both.

She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat as her thoughts went, unbidden, to Natsu's sweaty and naked form. She bit the inside of her cheek, chasing away the memories, before she knelt down to smile at the little boy that clung to the back of his father's leg. Her heart swelled as she looked at her little boy, who was only nearly four years old. She held her arms out to him and he ran into her, wrapping his little arms around her neck before she hoisted him up, balancing his weight on her hip. She huffed slightly, he was getting bigger and she wasn't ready for the passage of time.

With her free hand, she ruffled his black hair as she stared back into brown eyes that mirrored her own. "Leo, did you have fun with Daddy?"

The little boy nodded ecstatically, his hair bouncing around his face as his whole body rocked with the movement. "We 'atched Her'les."

Lucy couldn't help but smile at his broken, toddler language. She pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. "Ah, Mommy would have liked to watch Hercules too."

His little hands gently squashed her cheeks, his face completely serious. "We can 'atch it too, Mommy."

"Sounds like a date, little man." She smiled and reached up to tickle his belly, making him squeal. She stepped into the apartment and set him down, watching him as he immediately darted into the sprawling living room. He bounced around, full of energy and unabashed enthusiasm, as she flicked on Sunday morning cartoons. He clapped as his favorite show began, bouncing up and down to the beat of the intro music.

Lucy's heart warmed.

Leo… He was the one good thing that had come out of the brokenness that was her and Gray.

She looked over her shoulder, spying Gray still hovering over the entrance to what used to be their home. She smiled softly at him and stepped towards him, reaching out for his hand and dragging him back into the place that was filled just as much with bad memories as it was with good ones.

"This is your home too." She muttered softly, not wanting to alert the toddler currently bouncing to the sound from the TV. Gray shifted beside her, their arms bumping slightly. He was several inches taller than her and she found herself having to angle her head back a bit so that she could look into his pained eyes.

"No, it isn't…" He said the words just as softly, the pain from their divorce obvious in his words. It didn't matter that they had been separated for ten months before it was finalized. It didn't matter that they hadn't lived together for nearly that same amount of time. None of that mattered. To them, the pain of parting was just as fresh, just as vibrant, as the tear-filled night that they realized that they were never going to work as a couple.

She sighed, resting her head against his shoulder. The loving motion made him stiffen momentarily, before he relaxed and rested his head on top of her own. "This is still our home. You're always welcome here, you know that."

"It's just… Not the same." The words were barely louder than a whisper. Her lips pressed into a thin, taut line as she forced back the words that begged to be spoken. Instead, she simply reached for his hand and squeezed it, more being said by that simple gesture than by any amount of words.

They loved each other, they just weren't _in_ love with each other. Not anymore.

* * *

Natsu groaned as he berated himself for drinking so much. He fucking hated hangovers. Even though it was morning, he made himself some ramen and slurped up the deliciously unhealthy noodles. "Fuck…" He sputtered as he closed the cabinet. "That was the last packet." He took another big slurp of the noodles as he glanced towards his grocery list. His eyes trailed down the list of necessities that he needed to buy before he spied the carefully written phone number at the bottom.

For a moment, he felt hollow, like all of the air had left his lungs, leaving him empty as an unusual thrill invaded his veins.

Lucy had left him her number… His fingers trailed over the edges of the paper, his eyes hardly believing what he was seeing. It had felt chemical with her last night… The way their bodies had connected, passion and fire had burned within him, unstoppable and unquenchable. He had never felt something so…

His face scrunched up as he searched for the right word to define the feeling.

Magnetic. That was it.

He had never felt something so magnetic, so heated, so impossibly perfect that it had taken his breath away. When she had left that morning he had still been so clouded with sleep that he hadn't managed to process that he didn't actually have any way to get ahold of her again. Regret had settled in the pit of his stomach, rancid and awful, but unavoidable. He had accepted that he wouldn't see her again, the she would just remain this mythological figure to him that he had been lucky enough to experience for a single night.

But, she had left him her number.

A smile spread across his face as he reached for his phone and safely stored her number. He stared at it blankly for a moment, contemplating the wonderful enigma that he had met. A 'meow' snagged his attention, dragging his priority away from his phone to Happy, his Russian Blue cat. His gray fur had this otherworldly blue tint to it and he reached forward, petting the loving creature gently. The cat rubbed against him, his tail twisting around Natsu's arm before he could realize that Happy was on the counter, exactly where he didn't belong.

His phone buzzed, vibrating against the cheap kitchen countertop. His heart leaped into his throat as he stupidly hoped that it was Lucy calling. As soon as he saw the caller ID he flummoxed, grimacing at the sight of the name that awaited him there. He sat down his now empty bowl in the sink before he reached for the phone, answering the call.

"What do you want, Lisanna?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted how angry he sounded.

 _"_ _You don't need to answer the phone like that, ya know."_

Natsu sighed, running a hand through his hair as her chime-like voice echoed back to him through the phone. "Sorry." He huffed, trying not to feel disdain for the woman on the other end of the line.

 _"_ _Anyway…"_ She continued. _"I'm not calling about us, I'm calling about work. Jet called in sick."_

Natsu groaned, feeling the pulse of a headache in the back of his skull. He was supposed to have the day off. He didn't want to go into work. He didn't want to see _her_. He wanted to laze around and cuddle Happy. He pinched his eyes shut, hating what he was about to say. "Fine. I'll be there in thirty."

She sighed and he could imagine her, slouched over her desk, her phone pressed to the side of her head, while her eyes skimmed the paperwork laid out before her. _"Okay, I'll let the Captain know."_ She paused for a minute and he could hear the shuffling of papers as she sorted through the piles of work on her overcrowded desk. _"We should talk… When you're done."_

He grunted. "I don't think that's a good idea, Lis."

 _"_ _We both made mistakes, Natsu. Neither of us are innocent."_ Her cheerful voice annoyed him, making his headache pulse a bit more fervently.

"Like I said, I don't want to talk about it. I'll be at work soon." Before she could say anything else, he hung up the phone, glowering down at the now blank screen. Memories flashed through his brain, a compilation of mistakes that had led to disaster. He shook his head, refusing to let the memories gain purchase, and headed for the shower.

He wouldn't let those memories ruin his day. Last night had been fantastic. He clung to the image of Lucy out of breath and squirming beneath him. The look on her face… Her lips parted as she gasped, the sound sweet and delectable. He thought about how she had looked at the bar after he had made her spill her drink. He had been so pissed off at Gajeel at first for pushing him so damn hard. But, as it turned out, it had been a blessing in disguise.

Even though he would never thank that bastard for it.

As the hot water ran over his sweaty skin, he pushed memories of Lisanna aside and focused on new possibilities, new futures, that had seemed impossible to him a few mere months ago.

After all, its not like he was a poster boy for innocence anyways. Lisanna wasn't the only one to blame. He shared equal guilt. As he turned off the water and quickly dried off, the light of day cascaded down upon his naked body.

Today was a new day, a new start, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he was actually almost looking forward to it.

~ Author's Note ~

Fair Warning: This is not a story for people who believe that love is black and white. Love is a complicated, messy thing, that often lives in grey zones. This story will be about that kind of love. Complicated, messy love that isn't easy; where people often make mistakes and the bounds of one's forgiveness is tested. I just wanted to give everyone a fair warning, so that you could come into this story with no misconceptions.

Well, what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Want me to continue?

I have a very vague outline for this story in my head but I honestly have absolutely no clue as to how long this story could be. I go where the story takes me, chapter by chapter.

Please, leave a review and let me know your thoughts! Your reviews are what keep me writing.

~ FeudalAi


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't until Tuesday that Lucy felt like she could catch her breath. After Gray had brought Leo home, she had been completely preoccupied with her little guy until she had to drag herself back to work and him to daycare. Thankfully, the daycare facility was only two blocks away from Magnolia High where she taught. The semester was quickly winding down and she found herself inundated with piles of essays on topics ranging from _Hamlet_ to _Harry Potter_ and double-checking the questions and answers for the final exams that were under her control. She both hated and loved the end of the school year. It always brought excitement due to the upcoming summer, but dread due to the oppressive amount of work that was about to crush her. She knew that for the next three weeks she would be completely exhausted, emotionally and physically worn out, as she pushed towards the final day of the year. While she usually spent her summers volunteering at education centers, this year she would simply spend time with Leo.

He was getting older. As much as she hated to admit it, her little man was growing up. In a few months he would be four years old. He would be going to kindergarten in only a year and a half. Time went by frighteningly fast. It terrified her, sometimes, when she thought about just how fast he had grown. She could still remember when he was barely even a few days old, just a wee little thing with a mop of black hair and wide brown eyes staring up at her from within her safe embrace.

Back then, everything had seemed perfect. Her and Gray had plastered over their relationship issues, the joy of new life temporarily gluing them together and filing in the cracks. For two years, they had been able to live within that fantasy world. For two years, they had been able to delude themselves into thinking that they could _force_ their relationship to work. But, as it turned out, they had just been lying to themselves and each other, both trying to push off the inevitable.

Time with Leo was precious to her. It gave her life, fueling her for the days that she would have to spend without him. Thankfully, Gray had found a little house to rent that was only two miles away. Even though those two miles could sometimes turn into a twenty-minute drive in the heat of rush hour, he still lived relatively close by. Since Leo was still so little, they decided to share time with him as evenly as they possibly could.

He'd spend Monday through Wednesday with Lucy and Thursday through Saturday with Gray while alternating Sundays between the two.

It was torture each and every time that she had to drop him off at the two-story craftsmen rental. She would carry in his little suitcase as he bounded up the concrete steps, rushing into his father's arms. Gray would smile at her, just a small uptick of his lips, as he welcomed her into his temporary abode. After a multitude of hugs and kisses she would tear herself away, forcing herself out of the door and back into her car.

Each time was like a punch in the gut. Her stomach would twist and squeeze and she would dry heave. She wasn't sure why she always felt so anxious whenever she had to drop him off for his time with his father, but she did. Anxiety would tear through her, slowly killing her from the inside out.

Maybe the truth of the matter was that she just didn't like change.

Years ago, back when she was dressed in white with a lacy veil hanging over her flushed face, she had been filled with hope and dreams. She had envisioned her and Gray's future. She had imagined them clinging to each other forever, never letting go, while raising three little children. Back then, she had no clue that it was all about to come falling down… That the future she had envisioned would blow up, bursting into electrified dust. Every time she left Leo at Gray's it was a stark reminder of the unforeseen change and her body would spark, re-enacting the moment that they had decided to end it.

She remembered heaving over the porcelain toilet bowl, her rancid puke quickly filling it as he reached for her hair. His gentle fingers pulled back her golden strands, holding them back as tears silently fell down his face.

"Mommy!" Leo's voice shook Lucy from her memories. She jolted awake, only just realizing that she had started to doze off, and sat up straight on the couch. Leo was in front of her on his hands and knees, pushing a toy truck as he made 'vroom, vroom' noises. "Mommy, look!" He spun in a circle, his little butt sticking up in the air as he tried to spin as fast as he could while pushing the truck in front of him. Inevitably, he fell, plopping down onto his belly with a soft thud. Still, even that didn't take the wide smile off of his innocent face.

Lucy slid off of the couch and laid on her stomach, crawling towards the giggling toddler as she reached for a stuffed toy dinosaur that had hidden itself beneath the coffee table. "Rawr!" She cried as she pushed the toy towards Leo's truck, his laugh cascading over her the entire time.

Yea… Leo was her world, her purpose, her reason for existing.

It was in moments like this that she could forget, just for a moment, that her world had fallen apart. She could pretend that Gray was just in the other room instead of a couple miles away.

Her phone buzzed and she reached for it, snagging it off of the coffee table and placing it against her ear all while chasing the crawling Leo around the living room with the dinosaur toy.

"Hello?"

 _"_ _Lucy, it's me."_ Gray's voice made her freeze just long enough for Leo to seize his chance and jump on top of her back. His sharp, little heels jutted into her ribs and she winced slightly as she began to slowly crawl around the living room playing 'horsey'. Leo's happy cries echoed back to the man on the phone and she could almost hear the smile on his face when he spoke. _"What's Leo up to?"_

Lucy sighed and stopped crawling. Slowly, she leaned back until Leo crawled off of her back. She spun around to face him and pointed towards the phone. "It's Daddy." She muttered. His eyes went wide and he darted towards his room, going to fetch whatever he wanted to show Gray. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the phone call. "I think he's going to fetch you something. You up for video chatting with him when we're done?"

He huffed. _"Of course I am"_

Her heart constricted slightly, hearing the small bit of pain in his voice. He was usually so good at hiding it, but she knew him. She could read his every small action, or lack there of, and see the emotions that he tried so desperately to keep locked away from prying eyes. "I didn't mean anything by it, Gray. Really."

He sighed, like air being released from a too-full balloon. _"I know…"_ He paused and she suddenly felt like a little child desperately needing to be held. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to push aside the odd feeling.

"What's wrong?" Her voice quivered slightly and she hated how weak she suddenly felt. Leo burst from his room, a drawing preciously clutched in his hands.

 _"_ _I just needed to hear his voice."_

In that moment, Lucy understood. Gray was having just as hard of a time with the divorce as she was, he just didn't show it as often or as blatantly. He missed Leo. He missed her. He missed being a family, just like she did. She smiled softly, clutching the phone to her head. "Let's video chat, okay? Leo is waiting to show you something." She barely even waited for him to grunt a soft 'yes' before she had taken the phone away from her face and clicked the 'video' button. Gray's face burst into life on the screen, his face looking far more tired and worn out than she had seen it in months. Quickly, she flipped the phone around so that he was staring at Leo instead of her.

Leo bounced on his heels, his enthusiasm contagious. A smile slowly spread across her face as he held out his picture. He beamed, proud of his drawing. It was of the three of them, holding hands, and she felt her heart crack.

"Daddy, 'ook we're a fam'y again."

Lucy heard Gray gasp before he quickly covered up his shock with appraising words. They talked like that for nearly twenty minutes as Leo ran around, grabbing different toys and drawings to show his Dad. By the time that they hung up the phone, Lucy could see the stress that hung beneath Gray's eyes. Silently, she promised to call him after Leo was tucked in bed.

But, getting Leo in bed was not an easy matter.

It was with a kind of happy exhaustion that she fell into bed later on that night. It had taken two bedtime stories and three songs before his eyes had drooped closed. She had flicked on his constellation night light and quietly backed out of the room, leaving the door cracked. Needless to say, after a long day of work and wrangling a toddler she was wiped. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep immediately, her make-up still on and her teeth un-brushed. Her fingers fumbled for the edges of her phone. She lifted its harsh light to stare at the screen as she quickly pressed on Gray's number.

She held the phone to her ear, closed her eyes, and waited.

 _"_ _Lucy."_

"Are you okay?" She dove right in, not caring about useless formalities as she listened to his familiar noises. She heard the distant sound of a TV as he turned it off before a hollow sigh hit her ears.

 _"_ _That picture…"_ He began, fumbling over his words. She could picture him slightly gripping the armrests of his chair. _"We need to make him understand that we are still a family, just a different kind of family."_

"He will, with time."

 _"_ _Time."_ He said the word like a curse. _"He's still not used to coming over here and its been months. He's not adjusting."_

Lucy didn't know what to say as Gray voiced the fears that laid within her heart. Her fingers dug into the comforter beneath her, wrinkling its once smooth surface. "I'm not sure what else we can do to make it easier for him. He seems pretty happy."

 _"_ _Yea, but… He misses you, when you're not here."_

Lucy felt hot tears sting the corners of her eyes. "He misses you too, when you're not here." Silence hung between them, heavy with their fear for their child's happiness. They both loved him, so damn much that it hurt. Lucy didn't know how to do this. She didn't know how to be divorced. She didn't know how to make everything perfect for Leo. She didn't know how to make all of the bad things okay.  
She hated not knowing the answers.

 _"_ _What are we going to do?"_ The deep desperation in his voice hit her full-on, slamming into her and making her dizzy. If she wasn't already laying down she was sure that she would have fallen onto her knees from the impact. It was in moments like this, when he would speak so softly and full of the emotion that he usually kept hidden, that she would be assaulted by the memories of their early days together. She would remember the first time that he had ever held her hand, or the way that it had felt when they had picked out this apartment to be their home.

"I really don't know, Gray. I want to pretend that we can make it all okay again. He is so young… One day he won't even remember that we ever lived in the same home."

 _"_ _I know you're right."_ He sighed, the sound heavy and sorrowful. _"Its just being away from you two is harder than I had imagined it would be."_ He sucked in a sharp breath and she knew that he had just caught himself. He hadn't wanted to admit that, especially not aloud to her.

"It's okay…" She whispered the words, feeling a weight leave her chest as she allowed herself to open up to him. "I miss you too."

 _"_ _Lucy, we…"_

"I know, but that doesn't meant that I don't miss you, that I don't miss our family. As bad as things got, I liked having you here. Seeing you with Leo…" Tears silently poured down her cheeks and she found her words cutoff, sealed within her mind.

 _"_ _Fuck…"_ He groaned. She could picture him, leaning back in his chair with his eyes pinched shut and his lips pressed into a taut line. She could imagine the furrow in his forehead as worry and unspeakable emotions flared within him. She could sense it when he gulped, shoving his feelings aside as they both tried to deal with the reality of their situation.

They sat there in silence, with only the sound of their gentle breathing echoing back to the other over the line. It was comforting in an odd way, just to listen to his silence again. It was something that she had grown used to when they had lived together. The silence of one was very different than the silence of two. With him, at night she could hear him breathing, hear his soft snores when he was completely passed out with his arm lazily draped across her thin waist. Laying in bed alone, with just the noise from her ceiling fan, felt a hundred times more lonely.

"It's getting late." Her words shattered the silence, rendering them both temporarily immobile before she worked up the nerve to continue. "We better go to bed, we both have work in the morning."

 _"_ _You're right."_ He sighed, the soft noise long and drawn out. _"Night Lucy, love…"_ He cut himself off, his breath sucking in sharply, like nails against a chalkboard.

She pinched her eyes shut, shuddering as his almost said words flooded over her. She felt like she was drowning, choking on the memories of him saying 'I love you' and holding her tight. "Night, Gray."

Her hand shook as she ended the call and crawled under her blankets. Tonight, she would not remove her make-up. Tonight, she would not go brush her teeth or do some extra grading. Tonight she was going to just let herself fall asleep. She was too worn out, too embattled by her own warring emotions to deal with anything else. She curled into the fetal position, her hands rubbing at her swollen eyes.

Fuck it, she hated how weak she was.

* * *

Five days into what should have only been a four day work week made Natsu feel weary. His bones were heavy and he had to force himself to make it all the way to his bed. He flopped down onto the mattress, his face smashing into his soft pillow. He groaned as pure exhaustion overcame his system. Working twelve hours a day, five days in a row, was exhausting. At least Jet owed him now, meaning he had a four-day weekend. He rolled over, laying spread-eagle on the bed. Happy jumped onto his belly and quickly laid down, his deep purrs vibrating through Natsu's body. With a short laugh, Natsu reached up to scratch behind Happy's ear.

"Did you have a good day, buddy?"

Happy merely purred in response.

"That's what I thought." Natsu's arm fell back down to his side and a sudden wave of loneliness flooded him. Briefly, he thought about Lucy's naked body and holding her throughout the night. He had liked that closeness. He had liked not sleeping alone. He simply missed the company.

An image of a very pregnant Lisanna infiltrated his mind. With a groan, he lifted his pillow and slammed it over his face as he tried to banish the unwanted picture. He didn't want to think about _her_. He didn't want to think about the growing baby inside her tummy. He didn't want to think about the mistakes that they had both made that had torn them apart. He didn't want to think about how stupid he had been.

Idly, he pushed the pillow off of his face and lifted his phone to stare at the screen. Lucy's contact info stared back at him, taunting him. He had been too chicken-shit to message her yet. He didn't want to message her too soon. He had known when he had taken her back to his place that they were only supposed to be a one night thing. But, that wasn't what he wanted anymore. He wanted to get to _know_ her. The little bit of her personality that he had managed to gleam from their rather minimal amount of conversation and pulled him in, enchanting him into a daze where she still, somehow, managed to invade his brain.

He didn't understand how she had so much power over him from just one night. He didn't understand why her silky, blonde hair would pop into his mind when he was doing something mundane, like pouring his hundredth cup of coffee. He didn't understand why his heart pounded erratically within his chest when he clicked on her name, bringing up a blank text message box.

He had finally gotten used to being alone. He had gotten used to not having a warm body laying beside him at night. He had gotten used to going out on pointless dates and having pointless encounters that did nothing to heal his broken soul. He had gotten used to living with the pain of Lisanna's deceit and his own, gut-wrenching, guilt. He didn't know how to live with who he was and the things that he had done. Lucy… She made him want to be innocent. She made him want to wipe his past clean. He couldn't even imagine telling her about how he had acted. He carried too much baggage.

Still, regardless of the weight he carried, his fingers twitched as he slowly typed her a message. He tried not to think about the future. After all, they barely knew each other. There was nothing saying that him sending her a message would lead to anything real and substantial between them. With a shaky breath, he pressed 'send'.

Natsu: [Hey, Luce! This is Natsu. Remember the pink-haired doofus who made you spill your drink?]

Natsu: [Wait! Not pink, salmon! Fuck.]

Natsu groaned, dragging a hand across his face. That…. Had not gone well. With a frustrated huff, he tossed his phone to the side and forced himself to sit up. He absolutely did not expect a reply. So, when his phone dinged a few seconds later, he looked back at it in frozen disbelief before he threw himself across the bed, desperately reaching for his phone.

Lucy: _[Of course I remember you.]_

He stared blankly at the screen, his palms growing sweaty the longer he took in the sight of her five words. Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with him?

Lucy: _[I'm kind of surprised to hear from you actually.]_

Natsu: [Of course I messaged you! We had fun.]

Lucy: _[lol yea, it was fun]_

Natsu: [How are you?]

Natsu rolled off of the bed, barely managing to not trip over his coffee table as he made his way into the kitchen to make some instant ramen. It took her a while to reply and he found himself incessantly checking his phone. It wasn't until he had plopped down onto the couch, his instant noodles in his hand, with the TV flipped to some crime drama that she replied again.

Lucy: _[Sorry about that. I'm good. Busy, but good. Almost the end of the semester.]_

Natsu: [Oh, yea. I forgot you were a teacher.]

Lucy: _[High school English is currently the bane of my life. Kind of hating how long I required their essays to be.]_

Natsu: [You would have been my least favorite teacher. Not gonna lie. I hated English.]

Lucy: _[Hey! English is awesome.]_

Natsu: [Course you would think that, you get to inflict the torture.]

They fell into conversation easily. Their texts bounced back and forth for nearly an hour as they talked about nothing in particular. He found that he took particular joy in teasing her, poking at the things she loved until she'd burst into a mini-fit, scolding him about the awesomeness of her hobbies. The TV show in the background went on, unwatched, as he laughed at his screen, thoroughly enjoying riling her up. They kept the conversation light, nothing about their families, politics, or anything that could ruin the lighthearted mood. As the intro music for the next episode of whatever-the-hell was on TV played, he finally bucked up the nerve to ask her the question that had been humming in the back of his mind since she had first replied to his text.

Natsu: [I know it's short notice, but wanna hang tomorrow?]

Lucy: _[I'd love to, but…]_

Natsu: [That doesn't sound good.]

Lucy: _[I feel like there's something that I need to tell you first.]_

Natsu: [What is it?]

Lucy: _[What happened last time, can't happen again. I don't regret it, don't get me wrong! It just can't happen again. I have too much going on in my life right now. If I'm going to be 100% honest with you (and I think I should be if we want to embark on some kind of friendship) I just got divorced and I have an amazing three year old son.]_

Natsu's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. She had a son? He re-read her words, his mind having a hard time taking in all that he was seeing.

Now, that was some baggage.

Still, despite the probably wise warning that his mind was sending him, his fingers typed a reply before he could even properly think it through; his fluttering heart easily overriding his head.

Natsu: [Friends. No expectations. Promise.]

Lucy: _[Great. See you tomorrow, same place, about nine okay?]_

Natsu quickly agreed, his mind swirling at the prospect of meeting her again. Slowly, as the haze of excitement fell away, reality kicked back in.

Friends. He could do friends.

Friends required no real commitment and dating a woman with a kid was serious business. He wouldn't fuck up a kid's life, he was too much of a mess himself to play as someones Dad. But, friends he could do. He could be himself with no worries or added pressure. His mind, once again, flashed back to Lisanna's swollen stomach and he grunted, trying to erase the image.

Lucy wasn't Lisanna and he wasn't the same person that he was before.

As he waddled over to his bed in a sleep-filled daze, his mind went completely blank. He was too exhausted, too worn out from too many days of work in a row. He flopped onto his mattress and fell asleep within less than a minute, Happy curling into a ball on his back.

Well, no matter what happened, at least he had his cat.

* * *

Friday night rolled around all too fast. Lucy found herself nervous to see her salmon-haired friend, even though she knew that was ridiculous. Leo was with Gray, as usual, and she found a thread of guilt pulling at her heart as she neared the bar. She didn't completely understand why she felt so torn about going to see Natsu. They weren't dating or anything so there was nothing to feel guilty about.

She slapped the back of her head, cursing herself as she realized that even if she was dating someone she shouldn't feel guilty about it. After all, she was divorced now and surely Gray didn't expect her to spend the rest of her life alone.

An image of Leo clinging to her skirt as she dropped him off at Gray's the day before popped into her head, tormenting her as she pushed into the bar and darted for a free barstool. There wasn't much of a crowd yet, just a few small gatherings of people, but she knew that the horde would be due anytime within the next hour. She waved down the bartender and ordered her usual — whiskey on the rocks. Just as she took the first, small, fiery sip Natsu slid onto the seat beside her, a wide grin spread across his annoyingly handsome face.

Her stomach clamped up, twisting into knots as he took in her outfit. She was in a simple, black skirt and light blue blouse, nothing fancy, nothing very sexy. When she was younger she used to wear extremely tight fitting clothes that clung to her every curve. Now, that felt somehow wrong. She was always worried that one of her students would see her out and about so she hardly ever allowed herself to indulge in what she called her pre-Leo clothes.

"Luce! You beat me."

Fuck, his voice was enchanting.

Lucy blushed and immediately turned her head to take another sip of the alcohol. "Looks like it." She smiled, allowing his presence and the whiskey to relax her.

He waved to the bartender and quickly ordered himself a beer before he turned back to look at her. He elbowed her softly, leaning in conspiratorially as his eyes darted side to side. "I feel like we're having a secret rendezvous."

Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but laugh as she gently pushed him away, her fingers skimming over the hot skin of his bicep. She snagged her hand away as if she had been burned. If he noticed, he didn't show it. Instead, he simply laughed along with her, the sound thrilling to her ears.

"Oh?" She rolled her eyes at him as she reached for her drink. Condensation dripped onto her fingers. Suddenly, out of the blue, her mood shifted. Leo's adorable smile flashed in her mind and she suddenly found the topic impossible to avoid. "So… Are you really okay with just being friends?"

His laugh fell from his face as he took her question with all the seriousness that it deserved. He took a slow chug of his beer, seemingly relishing its taste before he answered her. "You're not the only one with baggage, ya know. Albeit, mine's a different kind. Being friends sounds good to me." He eyed her, carefully analyzing her body language as she listened to his unexpected words. "Really." Finally, the corners of his lips lifted back up into a smile and her heart stuttered, stoping momentarily before it quickly sped into hyperdrive.

"What kind of baggage do you have?"

His expression soured slightly, but his smile never fell. "A heavy, but different kind from yours. Gotta say, I never expected you to have a kid. You're so young."

"People have them a lot younger than me."

He laughed. "I guess you're right about that.

She leaned into him, their shoulders bumping slightly and she cursed the electricity she felt from that simple and innocent touch. "But, I know what you mean. It isn't like I gave you any hint last time that I had a son. I kind of didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Me either." He leveled her with a look that she couldn't read and she hated how a lump formed in the back of her throat. "But, I'm glad we did. See each other again, I mean."

She forced her gaze away from him and swallowed half of her drink in one, large gulp. It burned on the way down and gave her an excuse for the blush that painted her cheeks. "Have you ever seen the movie, _Sleeping With Other People_?"

He shook his head. "No, why? Do you wanna watch it sometime?" He quirked his head at her, his curiosity genuine and adorable.

"No, but we can sometime. It's about this girl and guy and they try to be friends. So, to avoid any situations that could lead to _inappropriate_ situations they came up with a code word so that the other person would know when to drop a subject or stop doing something."

"And this has to do anything with us because?"

She smirked and chewed on the inside of her cheek, nervous at her own proposition. "I think we need a code word if this friend thing is gonna work." He eyed her oddly and she laughed. "What? I'm not dumb. How many times have you been friends with a girl and it actually stayed within friend territory?"

He put a finger on his chin, clearly thinking through his past. "You know, now that I think about it, I don't think I've managed that since high school. Not with any close, single friends at least."

"Exactly!" She raised her glass, saluting him with it mid-air before she took another big sip. "So, codeword, brainstorm time."

"Well, what word did they use in the movie?"

"Dick in a mousetrap."

He deadpanned. "What?"

She laughed, keeling over on her barstool as her giggles tore through her. Tears pricked her eyes and she had to wipe them away before she could form words again. "They shortened it to just mousetrap though. It's quicker."

"I'd say." He guffawed. "That visual though…" He reached down and adjusted himself, flushing slightly as he did so, his face pained. "It was almost physically painful when you said that."

"Should we just borrow their term then?"

He nodded firmly. "Oh, yea. I can't think of anything better than that."

"So, if I do anything that makes your mind go too much into the gutter, use the codeword, and I'll do the same."

He leaned in closer to her, his breath fanning her cheek. "I think you're going to be using it a lot more than me."

She leaned back from him, eyebrows raised. "Is that so?" She simultaneously unbuttoned the top two buttons of her blouse while lifting her breasts slightly with her other arm. His gaze instantly dropped to her swelling breasts and she felt a rare surge of pride at the way he nearly drooled at the sight.

"Mousetrap." He nearly whispered the words.

She laughed and moved her arm allowing her breasts to fall back down. "I win."

"I didn't realize that we had started a challenge." He leaned back, appraising her as he took a drink of his beer. He slammed it down onto the bar, the golden liquid nearly sloshing out from his harsh treatment. "I'm all fired up now." The words rolled off his tongue like something greedy, clearly lapping up the challenge that she had _so_ unwittingly presented.

"Well, this doesn't sound like a good idea."

"Nope, but it's happening anyway. Luce - one, Natsu - zero." His eyebrows furrowed, his eyes darkening. "Challenge accepted. Friend…" He stuck out his hand and she shook it.

"Friend…" She replied in kind.

Maybe, just maybe, this would actually work. Hope flooded her chest as he leaned back and laughed, scratching the back of his head.

She had never been happier to have somebody bump into her.

~ Author's Note ~

Since you were all so amazing I managed to get a second chapter out this week! This won't be the norm (usually there will only be a new chapter every Tuesday). But, since I got a nice burst of reviews, I felt inspired and kicked out this chapter faster than usual. I'll still post another new one next week, it just might be a day late.

If you haven't seen the movie mentioned in this chapter, I recommend it. For some reason, I've been really loving it lately and was intrigued with the use of 'mousetrap'. I hope you don't mind it being included!

So, what do you think? Things are very slowly starting to pick up. I still don't know how long this is going to be, but the story is coming together in my head. Please, review! Your reviews give me energy to write faster.

~ FeudalAi


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, Natsu, wait up!"

Natsu jolted back, rocking on the balls of his feet as he came to a harsh stop outside of Lisanna's office door. His jaw tightened and he gulped, grinding his teeth together as he begged himself to keep his cool. He had been doing his best to avoid her, but staying clear of her at work was no easy task when she was only ten feet away.

He felt her presence before he saw her. The sent of her lilac shampoo slammed into him and he grunted as he tried to force back the memories that assaulted his mind. The memory haunted him. In it, she stood in his shower with suds decorating her body as she laughed, sweet and playful, while he squirted her with her shampoo. That scent brought him back to a point in time where he thought that he might have been in love with her. It was so visceral, the reaction that he had to that smell. His hands curled into tight fists as she maneuvered around him, her soft smile suddenly taking up his field of vision.

"What do you want, Lisanna?" The words sounded heavy and sluggish, as if he hadn't slept in a week.

The corners of her eyes crinkled slightly, the only sign of her distress, as she continued to smile innocently at him. "I was hoping that we could talk." Her hands came to rest subconsciously upon her large stomach and his eyes, inadvertently, darted down to it. Immediately, he jerked his head back up, only just catching the edge of her frown before it shape-shifted back into her happy mask.

"I just got off of a twelve hour shift, all I want to do is go home and sleep." His eyes were cold, but he didn't care. She shifted nervously in front of him, her fingers anxiously playing with the hem of her shirt.

"We really need to talk, Natsu. We work together."

"No." He sighed. Slowly, he uncurled his fists. "We don't need to talk. We work together, but that doesn't meant that I need to see or speak to you outside of this building." Her smile fell, but he didn't feel any regret. He used to hate it when her face looked like that. Now, he couldn't care less.

"Don't you want to be friends again?"

He grunted as a new set of memories slammed into him. He had known her for years. They had grown up together when they were children until she had moved away. They only reconnected after he transferred to the fire station that she happened to work at. It had been completely unexpected. He had thought that it was fate, some kind of divine intervention telling him that he should 'be with this girl'.

Wow, had he misread fate.

"I really don't. Look, I'm happy for you and all that shit, but I don't want to be friends. Let's just leave it at that."

She stepped towards him and he immediately took a small step back. "We both made mistakes."

"I never said that we didn't. We both fucked up, yours just got you knocked up."

Her hands bolted towards her stomach. "That's crass."

He shrugged. "Crass, but true."

"Fine." She spat. She stepped back, almost seemingly revolted by his presence. "Fine." The ardor in her voice faded, leaving her sounding weak and broken. His heart lurched, jerking painfully in his chest as he forced himself past her, refusing to look back at her wilted posture.

As he pushed open the station doors he couldn't help but feel like a jerk. But, the image of her wrapped up in Bickslow's arms still bothered him. He knew that it shouldn't. He knew that he should be over it by now. But, truthfully, he wasn't. They had both messed up and maybe, just maybe, if he didn't have to be confronted by that fact every damn time that he went to work then he would be able to be friends with her again.

On his way home, he took out his phone and stared at the list of messages between him and Lucy. He couldn't stop the smile that spread over his face as he re-read them. They weren't anything spectacular, just everyday type of messages that were filled with nonsense and stuff that he would usually find boring as hell. But, for some reason, with Lucy it was different. She could rage for an hour about the annoying task of grading papers and he would still be interested.

Frankly, he didn't understand it.

It had already been two weeks since they had started talking. They hadn't met up again because she had been too busy with the end of the school year. Every time he got a message from her he would feel this tingle of electricity jolt through his body before he would have to remind himself that they were only friends and that they would only ever be friends.

When he finally made it home he had his phone out before he even managed to flop onto the couch. A soft smile lit up his face as Happy jumped onto his lap. He pet him with one hand as his other messaged the friend that he probably missed a little too much.

Natsu: [Finally home. How was work?]

Lucy: _[Exhausting. One more week!]_

He could basically hear her excited squeal through the message staring back at him. Happy stuck his butt up in the air, his front paws kneading his leg, as he begged to be pet. Natsu idly scratched him, his attention completely stolen by his phone.

Natsu: [Good. We can finally hang out then.]

Lucy: _[I'm looking forward to it too. I feel like all I do is bore you right now.]_

Natsu: [You don't bore me, even if all you do is talk about English essays and exams.]

Lucy: _[See! Boring stuff. I promise I actually know how to have fun.]_

Natsu: [Oh, I know that you know how to have fun.]

Lucy: _[Gah, mousetrap!]_

Natsu smirked, reveling in his ability to make her uncomfortable. Silently, he tallied the score. Him - three, Lucy - four. He was still losing, but he was catching up. A part of him knew that he shouldn't be trying to make her evoke their codeword, yet it made him feel unreasonably happy whenever she did.

Natsu: [Wanna make a friend date for next weekend?]

Lucy: _[Definitely. I have Leo on Sunday so let's do something Friday night.]_

After quickly agreeing, Natsu set about his nighttime ritual. He ate instant ramen, watched TV for an hour, and climbed into bed. His body thrummed with the idea of seeing Lucy in a little over a week. His mind tilted and swirled with memories of her. He didn't _want_ to think about her. He didn't _want_ to imagine what she was doing right now. Was she laying in bed, just like him? He didn't _want_ to have flashbacks to her, naked, in his bed. He groaned, ruffling his hair as he scuttled under his blankets. The thoughts came, unbidden and unwanted, in a flood that was seemingly impossible to stop.

 _Friends_ , he reminded himself, they were _just_ _friends_.

* * *

Lucy's face-splitting grin made Leo quirk his head at her. His black hair flopped atop his head and she burst into laughter, smiling uncontrollably as she ruffled his hair making him run away from her.

She had been ridiculously happy lately, at least when Natsu was texting her.

The texts were pointless, silly things that weren't ever about anything really substantial. Still, they took her breath away with their simplicity. She tossed her phone aside, choosing rather to chase after her little boy than to reply to the message that he had just sent her. Leo squeezed as she picked him up and twirled him in a circle, spinning him around until he screamed for 'more' and she nearly lost her balance as she spun out of control. In a heap of laughter, she crashed down to the floor with Leo safely tucked onto her lap. He leaned his head back, his brown eyes staring into her own, and her mind went temporarily blank.

She loved him, so damn much.

Gray was due by any time to pick him up and she found her arms wrapping around his little waist just a tiny bit harder at the thought of him leaving. She hated the moments where they parted. The only thing good about today was that it was almost the weekend which meant that there was only one more week before summer vacation. The students had become more and more anxious and jittery as each day rolled by. Their excited anticipation of summer vacation clouded everything that they did. Lucy was inundated with work and, with a slight sigh, she realized that she would have to spend the entire weekend grading the essay questions from the students' final exams.

She heard a soft knock on the door and she hollered for Gray to enter. As soon as he stepped into view Leo wiggled uncontrollably until she let him go. He bounded over to Gray and jumped into his waiting arms. Gray pulled him against his chest, holding him tightly, before he set him back down.

"Daddy, I missed you!" Leo clung to Gray's leg, forcing his father to crouch down and join Lucy on the ground. Their eyes clashed and something unreadable flickered in his gaze before he tore his eyes away and looked at his son instead.

"I missed you too, buddy. Are you ready to go?"

Lucy nodded, answering for him. "Why don't you go grab your bag and the new painting you made?"

Leo let go of Gray and nodded, bouncing ecstatically on the balls of his feet before he took off in a sprint in the direction of his room. It was only then, in the silence left in Leo's wake, that an awkward quietness fell over them. Lucy looked up at Gray, her eyes searching him for signs of anything wrong. He never stood back up. Instead, he fully sat down on the floor facing her. He refused to make eye contact, choosing to look everywhere except at her.

"Gray, what's wrong?"

He shrugged. "Just a hard day at work."

"Oh?" Lucy's eyebrows rose. "What happened?"

Gray sighed before finally meeting her gaze. "One of our freezer units failed and we lost twenty crates of product."

"Oh, shit." Lucy mumbled and Gray quickly nodded his assent. He managed a popsicle factory for the ice cream conglomerate, _Fairy Tail_. It was a big business that proudly spouted that it was the second largest supplier of cold desserts in the country. While it had factories spread across the nation, their largest one resided just outside of where they lived. Gray had always loved his job producing the icy treats and his hard work hand finally paid off a few years prior with a promotion to factory manager. Now, though, all the stress that came with running a successful business was placed squarely upon his shoulders. "That's seriously not good."

He groaned. "I was dealing with the fall-out all day. The snobs in the main office out in L.A. were super pissed. They reamed me most of the day when it wasn't even my damn fault. The stupid maintenance worker lied about checking the cooling system, but _I_ get all of the blame."

Lucy leaned forward, flipping onto her knees and placing her hand upon one of his own. She squeezed his knee gently and watched as the tension eased from his face."Do you need me to keep Leo an extra night? If you have some shit you need to deal with…"

He shook his head, cutting her off. "No. Seeing him… It helps. Work can stay at work, I'm not taking all of that B.S. home with me and messing up my time with him." His eyes flicked down to her hand and she quickly removed it and stood up, holding out a hand to help him up as well. As soon as he was back on his own two feet, he let go of her hand.

Touching felt forbidden. It brought back painful memories of times best forgotten. Her fingers curled and she averted her eyes as she tried not to remember how it had felt when his hand would wrap around the back of her neck, his fingers tangling into her hair as he pulled her close. She gulped, pushing aside the memories that she didn't _want_ to remember.

"Lucy, I…" Gray didn't have the chance to continue because Leo burst back into the living room, a spitball of wild energy, as he threw himself in Gray's waiting arms.

"I'm 'eady Daddy."

Gray laughed, the sound filling the room with happiness. For a brief moment, Lucy could forget that he was about to leave with their son. For a brief moment, it was two years ago and they were just an everyday, happy family. Then, the moment snapped and Lucy was forced back into reality.

"See ya, Lucy." Gray waved at her as he carried Leo from the apartment. Lucy forced on a smile, waving to them as they disappeared behind the wooden door. As soon as they were gone she collapsed back onto the couch and pinched her eyes shut. Hot tears slowly fell down her cheeks and she angrily shoved them away.

"Come on, girl." She muttered. "You should be better at this by now." They had been doing this for months now and she still couldn't get used to the pain. A part of her feared the day that she would get used to it because that would mean that all of this was normal. She didn't want this to be normal. She slammed her fists into the couch as she stared up at the ceiling. She couldn't help but want her old life back. She knew that was stupid and that it was pointless to even think about it, but that didn't change the fact that she missed the simplicity of _before_.

She missed how easy it had been when her and Gray had lived in the same house. She missed the everyday life that they had shared before. Her mind flashed back to a memory of Leo running into their room, climbing onto their bed, bouncing in-between them, and startling them awake. That had been the moment that they had realized that he needed a full-grown toddler bed instead of the crib that he could, now, apparently climb out of.

Lucy smiled slightly at the memory and reached for her phone. There was no point in pouting. Instead, she opened her text messages.

Lucy: [Distract me.]

Natsu: _[From what?]_

Lucy: [The what doesn't matter.]

Natsu: _[Okay then… What does a zombie vegetarian eat?]_

Lucy: [A zombie joke? Really?]

Natsu: _[Come on, just play along.]_

Lucy: [Fine… Idk, what do they eat?]

Natsu: _[Graaaaaains!]_

Lucy stared at her screen, truly not knowing how to respond. The longer she stared, the more the terrible joke managed to crack her up. A small smile spread across her face and a laugh sprang from her. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, stifling her laughter as her cheeks flushed.

Natsu: _[What did the blanket say as it fell off the bed?]_

Lucy: [Idk, what did it say?]

Natsu: _[Oh, sheet!]_

Lucy couldn't help it, she keeled over as laughter spilled from her. It was such a stupid, dumb joke, yet she found it utterly hilarious. She wrapped her arm around her middle as her stomach ached from the force of her laughter. With happy tears stinging her eyes, she managed to look back at her phone.

Natsu: _[Are these working? You smiling yet?]_

Lucy: [I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but those were horribly great.]

Natsu: _[I know, right? I learned them from this guy at the station, he is kind of obsessed with Dad jokes.]_

Lucy: [Sounds lame.]

Natsu: _[Nah, he's the toughest guy I know. Nothing can take him down. Not even when this giant wooden support beam came down on him when we were doing safety checks. It broke his leg in three spots and all he cared about was that it was going to 'keep him from all the honeys down at the club'. Seriously, he's too old for that shit. He even keeps dirty mags stuffed in his duffel.]_

Lucy: [You know, sometimes I forget about how dangerous your job is. Have you ever been hurt?]

Natsu: _[It comes with the territory.]_

Lucy: [That didn't answer my question.]

Natsu: _[That's a better in person story. Let's just leave it at yes, I have been hurt before and yes, it happened more than once.]_

Lucy: [Just be safe, okay?]

Natsu: _[Of course. Did you ever see that movie, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry?]_

Lucy: [Of course.]

Natsu: _[My buddy and I say the same thing before we head into a building. Going in alive, coming out the same way.]_

Natsu: _[You worried about me?]_

Lucy: [Of course I am! You're my friend.]

Lucy: [Just don't do anything dumb or else I'll kill ya.]

Natsu: _[Gotcha, Captain.]_

Lucy: [I better go get some work done. Thanks for cheering me up.]

Natsu: _[Can't wait to see ya next week. Go get your work done, you workaholic.]_

With a groan, Lucy forced herself to do as he said. She grabbed the pile of exams from her bag and flipped open the first one. She bit back a smile as she thought over his message.

Yea, she was pretty excited to see him too.

* * *

Gray leaned back in his armchair, kicking up the footrest as a heavy sigh escaped his lips. He had just gotten Leo tucked into bed after a seemingly endless amount of bedtime stories. Lucy had always been more patient than him with the exorbitant amount of time that it would sometimes take to get Leo to sleep. He rolled his shoulders as he tried to relive some of the tension that clung to his tight muscles. Just as a brief moment of peace washed over him, his phone sprang to life. With a barely restrained groan, he looked at the caller ID and answered the phone before the incessant ringing awoke Leo.

"What is it, Juvia?" He tried to lighten his voice, but getting a call from his second-in-command at this hour was never a good thing.

 _"_ _Juvia was calling to tell you that the maintenance worker admitted to lying about doing his checks on the cooling system. Juvia thoroughly scolded him. How would you like to proceed?"_

Gray attempted not to groan as her words washed over him. "How many times do I have to tell you not to talk in the third person?"

 _"_ _Juvia is…"_ She coughed slightly, catching herself. _"I'm sorry."_

Gray rolled his eyes knowing that she would more than likely slip back into her old habit later on. After all, it was a nervous tick with her that only became more prominent as stress piled onto her thin shoulders. "Don't worry about it. Now, about the maintenance worker…" Their conversation drifted on as they came up with a game plan for handling the next four days before their main freezer compartment could be repaired. They had already lost a lot of product and they would be losing an even larger amount of revenue due to the decreased amount of production until it got fixed. It was a major issue that hung over his head like a dark cloud, threatening his very livelihood. He just hoped that the people back at headquarters wouldn't take their anger out on him. By the time they hung up the phone, it was well past midnight. He forced himself to climb out of his overly comfortable chair and make his way upstairs to flop into his bed.

Fuck, he was barely going to get any sleep tonight.

He slept on top of his covers, relishing in the slightly cool air in his room. He hated summer, preferring instead the chill of winter. The only upside to summer was the increased amount of production demanded of his factory. After all, people loved a cold snack on a sweltering hot summer day.

As he stared up at the ceiling, finding himself unable to sleep, thoughts of Lucy drifted into his mind. Seeing her today had felt…

He grunted, pushing aside the feelings that swam within his chest. He didn't _want_ to feel anything for her. But, it was so damn difficult when she was the mother of his child. As he closed his eyes, a memory washed over him that he would rather forget…

* * *

He held back her hair as she heaved. He couldn't stop the tears from falling down his face. They were going to get a divorce and that thought shook them both to their cores. He wiped her mouth with a washcloth before handing her a cup of water. She nodded in thanks before she swished and spit the liquid, dislodging any leftover tidbits of puke. He pulled her against him, burying his face in her golden hair as he tried to hide his tears. It felt like his heart had plummeted out of his stomach. She simply held onto him, her thin fingers digging into the skin on his back. He didn't want to let her go. He never wanted to let her go…

She planted a soft kiss against his collarbone and he inadvertently shivered. "Lucy…"

"I know…" She muttered, her words muffled by his chest. "Just… Just for tonight can we not let go?" She leaned back, looking up at him with wide, teary eyes. He nodded, his words escaping into the confines of his mind as he lifted her up and they walked to their bed. Slowly, their clothes fell to the floor and he pulled her against him, tangling their legs together as he covered them with the comforter.

They pressed against each other, desperate for closeness, as they simply held each other throughout the night. He kissed her forehead, brushing her hair back with his fingers as he held her. Wherever their skin touched there was a memory. All that night he lived inside of those memories, holding her close, and re-living all of the good times that they had shared.

Just because they weren't good for each other didn't mean that he didn't _love_ her anymore.

* * *

Gray wiped away his tears as he forced himself to stop remembering. He hated that memory, yet it haunted him. It came to him at night, whenever he couldn't sleep, and made him replay one of the worst moments in his life over and over again. He didn't love her, not in _that_ way anymore. At least, he didn't think he did. They were divorced now. He knew that eventually they would both move on… But, the thought of her with a new guy killed him inside. He knew that he didn't have the right to care anymore, but he did. He didn't like the thought of her wrapped in some new guy's arms.

No one was good enough for her, not even himself.

Plus, the thought of a new guy being involved in Leo's life terrified him. He was worried that if she was with someone else, he would end up getting pushed out of his own family. He knew that was unreasonable. He knew, logically, that Lucy would never let someone take his place as Leo's Dad. But, his emotional side was irrational. It nagged at him, taunting him as he thought about her starting to date again.

He groaned, flopping over on the bed to shove his face into the pillow. "Stop it." He chastised himself. It was pointless to think about her dating and all the 'what ifs'. All that those thoughts would do was torment him. They weren't useful or productive.

"Daddy?" Leo's soft voice called out to him and Gray bolted up. Leo stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes as he sleepily stared at his father.

"What is it, buddy?" Gray scooted towards the edge of the bed and scooped Leo up as soon as he walked over. He tucked him into bed with him. Allowing the toddler to curl up and steal the lone pillow that Gray had.

"Can't s'eep." He mumbled.

"Oh? Even after Daddy read you all of those stories?"

Leo shook his head, his eyes already drifting shut. "I miss Mommy."

Gray sighed and reached over to gently rub Leo's back. "I do too."

"Can you sing me a song?" Leo yawned, his small mouth popping open and blurring his words. Gray laughed, unable to resist how cute his son could be.

"Ok. How about I sing Mommy's favorite?"

Leo nodded, his head barely even moving as he yawned again.

Gray laid his head down on the bed, chastising himself for forgetting to buy a second pillow, as he softly began to sing. " _My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to. Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, you never need to carry more than you can hold; and while you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too… Yeah this, is my wish._ " Gray's voice fell into a hushed whisper as Leo's even breathing took hold. "Goodnight, little buddy," He leaned forward and gently kissed his small head. He couldn't help but smile as he looked down at his son.

Him and Lucy would figure it all out. They had to; for Leo.

* * *

Lucy finger-combed her hair before nervously tucking it behind her ear. Finally, the school year was done. The last week had been filled with grading and her futile attempts to calm her students' explosive happiness. They were teenagers, but they sure loved to act like toddlers when summer was near. It had been hard to keep a few of them in their seats, let alone get them to pay attention after exams were over. Now, she was sitting at the bar dressed in a pair of jean shorts and an olive green t-shirt. She had dusted her face with a small amount of make-up, paying particular attention to her lips by lightly coating them in a matte blush lipstick. She had beaten Natsu there again and her knee bounced as her nerves inexplicably grew.

They had been texting for weeks. She shouldn't feel nervous to see him, yet she did. It was stupid and childish to feel that way, but she couldn't control the way that her heartbeat sped up at the thought of him sitting down beside her. They hadn't texted as much as usual over the past few days. She had been busy with the end of the school year and he worked ridiculously long hours. Whenever her phone would beep and she would see his name appear she would feel this thrill of excitement that she would quickly chastise herself for. They were _friends_. She was the one who had decided that in the first place, so there was no point indulging in useless fantasies.

She was just glad to have someone to talk to again.

They had connected almost instantaneously. It had been easy to start texting with him. The conversation flowed; she never had to force it. They still avoided any truly serious topics, but she enjoyed the lighthearted nature of their messages. It was just what she needed after a long, stressful day at work. Her phone dinged and her eyes immediately shot to the screen, only to be surprised by Gray's name.

Gray: _[Watched the Power Rangers with Leo. He just went to bed. Congrats on the end of the semester.]_

Lucy: [Thanks, Gray. Glad it was you instead of me watching that this time. I don't know if I can handle seeing it for the millionth time.]

"Who's that?"

Lucy jumped as Natsu sat down beside her. She put the phone, face down, on the bar as she turned to glare at him. As soon as she saw his curious and innocent gaze she relaxed. She elbowed him and rolled her eyes. "Don't scare me like that."

He raised his hand, summoning the bartender and ordering them both their usuals. "Didn't mean to scare ya. So, who was that?" His eyes flicked down to her phone and she shrugged.

"My ex."

"Oh." He didn't say anything else. They sat there in silence for a few moments until their drinks were set down in front of them. "How are you two doing?" His eyes avoided her gaze as he spoke.

"We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to. It's kind of a loaded topic."

"Oh thank God." He mumbled before finally turning to look at her. A crooked smile lit up his face and she couldn't help but smile in return. "I really didn't want to talk about relationships. I'm trying to keep my mind off of my own screwed up past."

"Is that so?" Lucy muttered as she took a slow and calculated sip of her drink. He nodded firmly in response and she couldn't help but feel her curiosity grow. "Why is that?"

"Let's just say a lot of messed up shit happened and I don't like to think about the kind of guy that I was back then."

Lucy wrapped an arm around him, giving him a quick half-hug before letting go. "You're a good guy, Natsu. I don't know who you used to be, but I have a pretty good idea of who you are now and that's what counts."

His eyes widened minutely and his mouth popped open. He snapped his mouth shut and quickly looked down at his bottle of beer instead of at her. Her entire body flushed when she noticed the light shade of pink that dusted his cheeks. "Thanks, Luce."

She shrugged, trying to play off the seriousness of the moment. "Of course." He once again fell into silence, seemingly lost in thought, before he finally turned back to face her.

"You know… This friend thing is pretty damn awesome."

"Yea." She smiled. "It is."

As the night wore on, the bar dissolved into a flux of inebriated people thriving off of the thrill of a summer Friday night. Natsu and Lucy talked about random things. She vented about attempting to keep her students in line over the last few days and he told her random anecdotes from his work. She found his stories enthralling, even though he never supplied much information. Every time she brought up his work or his scars he would quickly change the direction of the conversation or brush it off as lightheartedly as he could. She gathered that he didn't want to scare her or make her worry about him. His job was dangerous, that was just a fact. He stormed into buildings that were being consumed by raging infernos. He saved people's lives. He walked into structures that were about to collapse from fire damage to clear them. The story that he had told her about one of his friends having a beam fall on their leg shot to the forefront of her mind and it took all of her willpower not to ask him more about it.

It was pointless to worry about him. If she worried about him every single time that he went to work that would be all that she ever did. Instead, she tried not to think about just how dangerous his job was. She focused on the fact that he was perfectly okay right now and that was what mattered.

Talking over the roar of the other patrons was difficult, but not impossible. It forced them to lean in close to each other which only managed to stain Lucy's cheeks pink. Still, she learned a lot about him. He had been adopted at the age of seven. He couldn't remember his birth parents. His earliest memories were of living in foster care. He had adopted his cat, Happy, from a shelter when he was about to be put down due to overcrowding. His Mom had passed away a few years ago due to cancer, but his Dad was still around and nearly pushing sixty. His face lit up when he talked about his family and Lucy couldn't help but wish that she had fond memories of her family like he did. While she had mended bridges with her Dad briefly before he died, there were still too many years of bad memories that haunted the few good ones that she possessed. She said as little about her family as she could, only telling him that both of her parents had passed on and that her childhood had been less than fun. She didn't want to complain and she most certainly did not want to dredge up the past. They skirted over the topic of education and briefly told stories about their escapades growing up. Apparently, Natsu had always been a free spirit, causing trouble and mayhem everywhere that he had gone.

Lucy fell into the conversation easily, like it was second-nature to her. It felt like they had been friends for years instead of merely weeks. She didn't understand how she could feel so close to someone so fast. It didn't make sense. While her heart would leap at the barest of touches, she refused to allow herself to see him as anything more than a friend. She had built walls around her heart, barricading her emotions inside until she was ready to finally open up to someone again.

She simply wasn't ready to be that vulnerable. Not yet, at least. Not so soon after her divorce had been finalized.

So, Natsu was perfect. She could talk to him without any pressure or the need for _more_ hanging over their heads. It was easy and simple, two things that she liked. She didn't question herself as they ordered more drinks and gossiped about the drunkards at the bar. She didn't question herself as the bar set up its late-night karaoke stand and they stood up to bob to the music. She didn't question how easy it was to be by his side, both wincing at the tune-death singer currently on stage. It was just easy being with him and she couldn't help but think that she had found the perfect friend and confidant.

By the end of the night she ended up back at his apartment. He burst through the door, making a bee-line for Happy. He picked up the fur ball and spun him around to the cat's mild displeasure. She found herself hanging back and simply watching him. It took a few moments for him to remember that she was standing there observing him and his cheeks immediately lit up with a pink blush.

"So, ugh, what do you wanna do?"

Lucy shrugged and dropped her purse on the small table in the room. Her eyes scanned the space, taking in more of it than she had before. This time she noted the small amount of pictures that decorated the coffee table. She wandered over to it and picked one up, staring at a picture of a very young Natsu surrounded by a huddle of other children.

"That was my foster home."

His voice made her jump and her shoulder slammed into his chin, snapping his mouth shut. "Sorry!" She squealed as she took a quick step to the side before tripping over the coffee table and tumbling into the thin space between the table and the couch.

"Luce!" Natsu quickly reached for her, holding out his hand. She grabbed it and he helped to pull her up. "Are you okay?"

"Shit, that hurt." She mumbled as she rubbed her shoulder. The table had slammed into it and she was sure that it was going to leave behind a fairly sizable bruise. She looked down at her other hand and noticed that, somehow, she hadn't managed to drop the photo. She handed it to him as she carefully made her way over to the couch. "I'm okay. You were cute though… As a kid I mean."

"Thanks…" He sat the picture back in its spot before sitting down beside her. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

She shrugged and forced on a fake smile. Truthfully, her entire body ached. She could feel bruises growing from the places the table had rammed into her tender flesh. "It was just a little fall, of course I'm okay."

"Klutz." He muttered, shaking his head. "Come here." He motioned for her to turn so she angled her back to him only seconds before realizing what he was going to do. Before she could stop him, his fingers were kneading into the skin around her neck and she melted. Gently, he pushed her head to the side and brushed her hair out of the way before his fingers began to skillfully massage all of the knots in her neck. She bit back a moan as he tilted her head to the other side and massaged it just as tenderly. "You're all tense." Frustration floated in his voice and she rolled her eyes. She knew that she should pull away from him, but it just felt too damn good.

"The end of the semester is stressful."

He pushed her head forward, flipping her hair over her face as he dug his thumbs into the base of her neck, his fingers squeezing her shoulders. "I'd say. You're more tense than I am and I walk into fires for a living."

She laughed slightly, her mind hazy due to the pleasureful sensations that were currently dancing down her spine. "So, that picture…"

"Those were the foster kids that I lived with for nearly a year before my family adopted me. I still keep in touch with most of them, actually. You'd love them, I just know it."

Lucy couldn't stop a smile from lifting up the edges of her lips. "If they're anything like you, I'm sure that I would." With a resigned sigh, she pulled away from his touch. She tucked her mussed hair behind her ear, steadily avoiding his gaze as she suggested something for them to do to waste the night away. "Wanna watch _Netflix_?"

"Sure." He stood up and grabbed them each their usual drink. Lucy couldn't help but notice that he had bought a new bottle of her favorite brand of whiskey. Without mentioning it, she took the drink and nodded her thanks as he turned on the TV. "So, what should we watch?"

He turned to her and smiled the most breathtaking smile that she had ever seen. It was in that moment that she knew she was in trouble. Inside her head she couldn't help but silently plea…

 _Mousetrap_.

~ Author's Note ~

This chapter was about 1,000 words longer than I thought it would be. I hope you liked it! I decided to start adding in Gray's POV as well so that everyone can get his side of things. I hope that you enjoyed it.

I want to send a huge shoutout to the awesome readers who reviewed the last chapter! It meant a lot. I'll do my best to not post on a Friday again though, simply because the amount of views goes _way_ down.

What do you think of the chapter? I've gotten a few more ideas about what's going to happen in this story and I'm getting pretty excited about it. Please, review! I really appreciate it.

~ FeudalAi


	4. Chapter 4

Gray sat hunched over his desk. A fan buzzed in the corner, cooling off his already cool room. With a weary sigh he ran his hand down his face and found his eyes inadvertently traveling towards the picture on his desk. The memory sat there, taunting him, in its perfect frame. Lucy sat on a couch gripping Leo's one-year-old body as the little boy balanced on her knees. Gray's arm was slung around her, a sloppy smile on all of their faces. Gray flinched at the memory and leaned back until he was staring at the sterile ceiling instead.

Life had a cruel way of making once good memories turn painful.

He closed his eyes and memories washed over him. He remembered the rest of the day that was caught in that picture. He remembered Leo smashing his birthday cake and Lucy helping their little boy to open up his presents. That night, he remembered tucking Leo into bed before Lucy and him crashed into each other in their bedroom, limbs tangling together in a fit of passion and happiness.

With a barely restrained groan he reached beneath his desk to adjust himself. With an annoyed grunt, he sat back up and stared at the mountain of paperwork on top of his desk. That freezer unit malfunction had really cost him. Trouble seemed to love trouble though, because as soon as that was fixed one of the machines that boxed the sweets blew out.

A soft knock on his door drew his attention and he carefully shuffled his papers into a neat pile before answering. "Come in."

Juvia's blue hair popped around the door and he straightened up. Her kind face smiled at him, but he didn't miss the glint of worry in her eyes. "The repairman says that it could take nearly a week to fix the machine."

Gray's face hardened and his lips pressed into a taut line. "I don't care how much extra it costs, we need that machine back up and working within the next three days."

Juvia frowned and clutched her clipboard to her large chest. "I don't know if…"

"I don't care." Gray snapped before he loosened his posture and smiled a soft apology. "Sorry. Just… We need this done. After what happened with the freezer unit…"

Juvia's warm smile lit up his cold room and he wished he had another fan. "Got it, boss. I'll convince him, no matter what." A devious glow lit up her face that, by now, Gray well-recognized.

No one could stop her when she set her mind to something.

With a small wave over her shoulder she disappeared back into the hallway and out of eyesight. Gray's hands folded together as he bit back his raging hormones. It had been way too long since he had done anything and he was starting to feel it in every corner of his being. He had never wanted to do anything until the divorce was finalized. It had felt wrong, like he would have been betraying her, if he had done anything before he had signed that demoralizing piece of paper.

His mind flashed to images that he didn't want to remember. Lucy, her blonde hair spread out beneath her, her face flushed and body breathing heavy beneath him.

Yep, he needed to get back out into the world. It was time.

He stood up and walked over to the windows that lined the factory wall in his office. He looked down at all of the equipment, machinery, and employees a few floors below. Immediately, he caught sight of Juvia's blue hair wound up in a cap as she determinedly darted across the factory floor.

Well, at least he could count on her to get shit done.

His phone buzzed on his desk and he turned around to grab it. Lucy's name flashed back up at him and he swallowed before he opened the image that she had sent. Leo sat at the top of slide. His big smile stretched across his face and his arms were spread out wide like he was about to take on the entire world. Gray couldn't help but smile as he closed his phone and looked back out over the factory that he ran.

Yea… It was time to move on.

* * *

Lucy crouched down at the bottom of the slide, waiting for Leo to slide into her arms. He pushed himself from the top and, with a loud squeal, sped down the slide. Her arms safely wrapped around him when he reached the bottom and she spun him around, enlisting a mountain of laughs.

She fucking loved her son.

She knew that moments like this would be short. Soon, he wouldn't want her to catch him. Soon, he wouldn't want to hang out with her. Soon, he would be dating and out in the world. She shuddered and pulled her little boy closer against her chest. She would cherish these moments and use them to pull her through her dark days.

The sudden, near ear-shattering, sound of a firetruck flying by made her head bolt up and heart race. She sat Leo back down and watched him as he ran towards the playground again. About four other toddlers were exploring the large, plastic castle-type thing in the center and he quickly joined them, making friends so easily that it astounded her. She sat on a bench close by while she irrationally worried that Natsu was on that firetruck. After all, he was on shift today. The sirens had suddenly cut off and if she looked slightly to her right she could see smoke rising from a few blocks down. Her hands wound together as she took out her phone and stared at her screen.

Should she message him?

She shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek. He wouldn't like her worrying about him. After all, it was his job to barge head first into dangerous situations. Still, fear lurked within her heart as she thought about the building that was currently ablaze.

Natsu… He was an enigma to her. They messaged nearly every day. They were just friends, yet her heart would pound when his name would appear on her screen. She didn't understand the way that her body would react to his mere presence. Her palms would become sweaty and she'd feel irrationally nervous every time that he looked at her. Whenever his eyes caught hers she felt her breath hitch.

It was stupid the way her body reacted to him.

She blamed it on her hormones. After all, Natsu was an extremely good looking, single man. It was purely physical. She reassured herself again and again that there were no romantic feelings attached.

If it was just _lust_ , she could easily ignore it. If it was actual _feelings_ on the other hand… Well, she didn't even want to think about that.

She shuddered and took a slow, deep breath before she refocused on the present. She wasn't ready for a real relationship, no matter the feelings involved. Being friends was perfect for her right now. Her eyes traveled across the playground, keeping a careful watch on Leo. He was busy helping a little girl with pig-tails down a small slide. She smiled and relaxed, purposefully ignoring looking up at the smoke that polluted the sky.

They spent the next hour at the park before they walked home together. It was a nice day. It was warm and a gentle breeze caressed their hot skin. By the time they reached the apartment the air conditioning was a blessing. She kept herself, and her mind, busy for the rest of the night as she took care of Leo. She made them dinner, gave him a bath, got him dressed in his _Paw Patrol_ pajamas, and watched a movie with him before tucking him into bed. By the time she had managed to shower herself she was utterly exhausted.

She towel dried her hair and quickly patted down her body before flopping, naked, onto her bed. She stretched, feeling her sore muscles tighten and relax. She rolled her shoulders and groaned at how tight her muscles felt. Inadvertently, her eyes darted towards her phone.

Natsu should be done at work by now…

Before she could even think about what she was doing, she had grabbed her phone and clicked on her text messages.

Lucy: [Hey! How was work?]

She laid the phone back down on the bed before her eyes roamed over her body. Her breasts fell to the sides, parting like the Red Sea, allowing her to view her relatively thin waist. Her fingers danced over forgotten scars and faded stretch marks. Her eyes clung to the slightly white lines that lined the sides of her hips and bottom of her stomach. They were nearly invisible now, but the proof of her pregnancy still lingered on her body. She didn't hate the marks, but she didn't particularly enjoy them either. Her eyes traveled back to her large breasts. Thankfully, those hadn't grown too much during her pregnancy, but they hung slightly lower now due to the months of breastfeeding. She winced at the memory of her bleeding and chapped nipples. Breast-feeding wasn't all rainbows and kittens, sometimes it was like walking into a horror movie. Still, it had been worth it. She felt the phantom pain of baby teeth and rubbed at her nipple, soothing the familiar ache.

Natsu: _[Busy. Exhausted.]_

Lucy: [Sorry to bug ya.]

Natsu: _[No! Don't worry, you're not bothering me. I just haven't been this tired in a long time.]_

Lucy: [Why are you so tired?]

Natsu: _[Work was just long. Had to go out on a call today and it should have been an easy job. Fucking thing took twice as long to kill as it should have.]_

Lucy: [Was this over by the playground near downtown?]

Natsu: _[Nah. Was some warehouse shit. Those things can be unpredictable, never know what chemicals are inside.]_

Lucy: [Oh.]

Natsu: _[Why do you ask? Was there a fire near the park?]_

Lucy: [Yea. I guess I wondered if you were at it.]

Natsu: _[Do I sense worry in that text?]_

Lucy: [As if.]

Natsu: _[Ha! I DO sense worry in that text.]_

Natsu: _[You know what? Mousetrap. Don't even reply to that. What are YOU doing?]_

Lucy: [Brutal honesty?]

Natsu: _[Duh.]_

Lucy: [Laying on my bed.]

Natsu: _[um… that doesn't seem like something very scandalous. Thought you were doing something you shouldn't be since you asked about honesty.]_

Lucy: [Well, I didn't finish. I'm naked. Laying in bed. Naked.]

Natsu: _[OH SHIT]_

Natsu: _[Shit shit shit. Didn't mean to send that.]_

Natsu: _[Fuck, I'm stupid. Naked is cool. Naked is fun. Sleeping naked is best.]_

Lucy: [lol, mousetrap.]

Natsu: _[Nah that isn't fair. You say naked and stick 'naked Luce' pics in my head and YOU get to say mousetrap? Nope. I get to say it. ME. Mousetrap, naked Luce.]_

Lucy: [lol ok ok, you can say it this time.]

Natsu: _[Booya!]_

Lucy: [You know, I think that we're the weirdest friends ever.]

Natsu: _[Not the weirdest, but pretty damn close,]_

Natsu: _[When are you free?]_

Lucy: [Same as usual. I can do something Friday.]

Natsu: _[Wanna hang?]_

Lucy: [I'd love to… But, I don't really wanna go back to the bar. Stay in?]

Natsu: _[Your place or mine?]_

Lucy paused and stared at her phone. Her eyes wandered around her expansive room and she inwardly flinched. She had been dreading telling him just how _rich_ she was. People always took it one of two ways. Either they started acting all weird and nervous or ended up eventually asking her for a loan or gifts. She didn't want to ruin her friendship with Natsu. She didn't want him to think of her as the Heartfilia heir ever single time that he looked at her. Still, it was a bridge she'd have to cross eventually if she didn't want to lie to him forever. With a hesitant breath, she typed her response.

Lucy: [Mine. We've gone to yours a few times, it isn't fair on you to provide all the alcohol lol]

Natsu: _[You got that right! Ok, send me the address and I'll see ya then. Night, Luce.]_

Lucy: [Night, Natsu…]

Lucy tossed her phone to the side and regretfully stood up and put on a pair of pajamas before climbing back into bed. Her mind clung to images of Natsu and memories that she knew she should try to forget. Still, the thought of him fulfilling her every desire after such a long dry spell was imprinted on her mind. She squirmed beneath her blankets and shoved her head beneath her pillow. Yet, images of Natsu's glistening abs still haunted her.

"Get yourself together, Lucy. Lust is not productive to friendship."

* * *

On Friday, Natsu stood outside of Lucy's apartment building trying to control his shock. Lucy was _rich_ if she lived in this place. He gulped and stared down at the address on his phone, double-checking it before entering the building. Lucy stood in the entrance, looking radiant, with a nervous smile plastered upon her face. Her hands wound together as she looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes. He squirmed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He could tell that she was nervous to let him see where she lived. He didn't understand it, but he wanted to make her feel as comfortable as he could. As soon as he reached her he nudged her slightly with his elbow, making her playfully narrow her eyes at him.

"Nice place. So, what floor we going to?" He kept his voice level and tried his best not to look around at the opulent carved wood and furniture that elegantly decorated the lobby. She noticeably sighed and her posture relaxed as she led him to the elevator.

"Fifteen." She whispered as they stepped into the elevator. Soft music played in the background and he leaned against her slightly making her roll her eyes at him.

"Relax silly. It's not like you invited me over for some late night quickie. We're friends, remember?"

Her nose crinkled and the sight was so adorable that he nearly moaned. His pupils widened while his hands clenched within his pockets. Damn, she was beautiful. "Of course I know that." She huffed. The small amount of furry in her voice tingled his nerves and made him want to tease her even more. He was about to say something else when the elevator dinged and they stepped off onto her floor. A sudden flood of nerves raced through his system as he patiently waited for her to open up her door and let him inside.

Being invited into her home felt somehow more intimate than he had expected it to…

His breath hitched as he stepped over the threshold. Her face was flushed and the pink color trailed down her neck to places that he couldn't help but wish to touch again. The memory of her heaving, bountiful breasts flared through his mind and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to calm his sudden desire to touch her silky flesh. He coughed slightly and looked around her place, using it to distract himself and give himself a moment to get his lower half back under control. It was a nice place. Beautiful, actually. Carefully thought out decorations and furniture dotted the ample square footage and it felt like a home, which was in stark contrast to the bachelor-pad feel that his studio apartment exuded. Finally, when the slight tightness in his pants fell away, he looked back at her.

"This place suits you."

"Yea?" He eyebrows rose and a blissful smile spread across her face. "Thanks… I spent a lot of time trying to make it feel like a real home… Somewhere loving for Leo to grow up." She scratched the back of her head nervously and he just wanted to rush her and wrap her up in his arms.

Shit.

He mentally slapped himself as he tried to banish the unwanted thoughts and emotions that attempted to overcome him. They were _just friends_. Nothing more. They would never be anything more. They had one, passionate, insane night together and that was all that he was ever going to get. Now wasn't the time to get greedy…

Her friendship meant too much to him already.

With barely a moment's hesitation, he strode past her and plopped onto the couch. He needed something else taking up his thoughts besides the seductive blonde woman in front of him. "So, what are we doing? Netflix?"

She shrugged her petite shoulders and slid onto the couch beside him. Their thighs brushed together and sent a tingling sensation up his spine. "Sure." She grabbed the remote and picked a random movie that he could have cared less about. The lights were dimmed and the voices of the actors floated back to him but it was through a haze. All that he was acutely aware of was the way that she was leaning against him. As soon as she had turned on the movie she had leaned her shoulder against his, her weight a comforting presence that made him unable to concentrate on anything else but her.

Seriously, he was a fucking terrible friend. Why couldn't he get his mind out of the fucking gutter?

With a barely restrained groan, he stood up and found himself missing her touch almost immediately. "Want me to grab a drink for us?"

Her eyes darted over to him, but the movie kept her rapt attention. "Sure. Beer is in the fridge, whiskey is in the second cabinet to the right."

He moved at her command, following her directions and making them their usual drinks. It wasn't long before he was setting them down on the coffee table and she was shooting him a thankful smile. He took a big swig of his beer and, before he could finally start to focus on the movie, she leaned back against him. Her head rested against his chest and she tilted her head until she was staring up into his eyes. Her cheeks had a slight flush from the alcohol and she bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Is this okay?"

He nodded and she snuggled against him a bit more. His mind was howling, 'mousetrap' over and over again, yet the word never passed his lips. He liked it too much. Without his permission, his hand wove around her stomach, his fingers innocently playing with the hem of her shirt. She didn't seem to notice, though. Her big eyes were glued onto the sappy rom-com that was currently playing on the giant TV.

This whole only being friends thing was going to be tougher than he thought.

* * *

Gray stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom. Thoughts, unwanted and unbidden, infiltrated his brain as he valiantly tried to shove them away. Images of Lucy, back when everything was good between them, teased him and his body with the satisfaction that he had long denied himself. He pinched his eyes shut and groaned as he slowly lowered his boxers. His hands fumbled and he silently cursed himself as he began to reach for what begged to be relieved…

"Daddy?"

"Shit!" Gray snapped beneath his breath. Instantly, he pulled up his boxers, his once taut erection now flaccid. The door to his room creaked open and Leo's tear-stained face peeked through it.

"Daddy, can I come in?"

Gray smiled and sat up, holding out his arms to his son. "Of course you can, buddy."

Leo rubbed at his swollen eyes and hurried over to the bed before clambering on top of it. He moved quickly into Gray's arms and Gray held him tightly as the little boy sniffled against him.

"Did you have a bad dream? Wanna tell me about it?" Gray leaned down and kissed the top of Leo's head softly as the little boy nodded.

"A monster 'tacked Mommy." Leo's little body shook as he hiccuped. Gray gently rubbed his back, desperately trying to soothe his panicked child. "I want Mommy." Tears soaked the front of Gray's T-shirt and he found himself wrapping his arms around Leo and beginning to move off of the bed. With a small grunt, he stood up, keeping Leo nestled against his chest the entire time. "I want Mommy…" Leo babbled.

"Shh… Mommy is okay. She is at home. Let's go back to bed, okay?" He started to carry Leo back to his own room but the little boy simply wasn't having it. His small fists pounded into Gray's muscled chest.

Gray sighed, defeated, as he began to descend the stairs. He knew that he shouldn't be doing what he was about to do. Lucy and him had talked a lot about how Leo would adjust to them living apart. They both knew that they shouldn't cave to Leo's every whim. Yet, for some reason, tonight he couldn't resit. A part of him, that he didn't want to acknowledge, wanted to see Lucy.

The truth was that he missed her, he missed them.

He knew that they would never be a couple again, but that didn't make being apart from her any easier.

"Let's go see Mommy." Gray slid on his shoes and Leo looked up at him with wide, teary eyes as a sloppy grin began to spread across his small face.

"Really?"

Gray nodded. "Really."

The drive went smoothly. Leo chatted away happily in the backseat as Gray tried to control the wave of nerves that had suddenly flooded his system. By the time that he pulled into a parking spot and had lifted Leo into his arms as they rode up the elevator he was thoroughly regretting his decision.

It was late.

He shouldn't be here.

His foot tapped incessantly as the elevator sped past each floor. Shit, shit, _shit_ …

When the door finally slid open he had to force himself to step out. If he didn't have Leo with him he would have just spun on his heel and went back to his own place with Lucy never knowing any better. But, he couldn't bring Leo this close and then snatch his hope away from him.

Leo clung to his neck like a lifeline and Gray focused on his son to still his nerves as he made his way up to the door. He had a key… But, for some reason, that felt wrong. Instead of digging out his key, he knocked on the door and held his breath.

What if Lucy was gonna be pissed at him?

* * *

They were steadily into their second movie and third drink each when she heard the knock on the door. At first, she was sure it was only a figment of her imagination. After all, who would be coming over at this time of night? Instead of getting up to answer it, she snuggled a bit more into Natsu's warmth. His arm was wrapped around her stomach by now while her head rested against his chest, his chin lightly dug into the top of her head and she could feel his breath gently tickling her forehead. She blushed and his fingers gently dug into the skin around her stomach.

In her head, she moaned, ' _mousetrap_ '.

But, then the noise from the door happened again and she bolted upwards, nearly knocking her head into Natsu's chin as she flung herself from the couch and dashed to the door. She didn't understand why, but her heart was hammering away within her chest and her palms had become sweaty.

Was something wrong?

Was everyone okay?

Why in the fucking world was someone knocking on her door at this hour?

She twisted the door-handle and her breath hitched at what she saw…

A wide-eyed Gray cradling a red-faced Leo.

Instantly, her brain focused on the face of her son. It was clear that he had been crying. She reached her arms out to him and Gray quickly shuffled Leo into her waiting embrace. In the back of her head alarm bells were ringing, but all she could focus on was kissing Leo's forehead as he nestled in against her chest.

"He had a nightmare. I hope it's okay that I brought him over. He really wanted to see you."

"Of course it's okay." She mumbled as she ran her fingers through Leo's hair. "You had a nightmare?"

Leo nodded as a yawn took up the majority of his face. His eyes drooped. He was nearly asleep already. Lucy muffled a laugh as she turned to look back up at Gray's nervous eyes.

"Can I come in?" His voice was soft and probing. She heard a noise from behind her, someone standing up, and she suddenly remembered who was over tonight.

Oh, _shit_.

Still, she couldn't say no to him. "Sure, but you should know…" She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence because Gray had already stepped inside and shut the door. His once happy smile slowly fell into a tight-lipped grimace as he laid eyes on the salmon-haired man that was standing in what was once their living room.

She heard a sudden intake of breath from behind her.

She gulped.

Leo's soft snores began to fill the room, laying a soft undertone to the suddenly tense atmosphere. What felt like an eternity was only a few mere seconds before Natsu's voice broke over the room.

"Gray?"

Gray's eyes narrowed even further as he looked between them. She could see the question that was lingering in them and she bit her lip, unsure how to answer. Yes, Natsu and her were only friends now. But… They had been intimate. Should she tell him the truth or should she fib? Her stomach flip-flopped and she suddenly felt extremely queasy. Her past and present were currently engaged in a vicious stare-down and she felt immobilized. At least, she did until a pair of little hands fisted into her shirt. With a soft sigh she turned slightly to head down the hallway.

"I'm just gonna put Leo to bed." She moved quickly, setting a slumbering Leo down in his bed and tucking him in before hurrying back into the living room. Natsu had a nervous, lopsided grin on his face as he looked at her ex whom he apparently recognized. As soon as she re-entered the room, Gray's gaze turned back onto her. His hands were shoved into his pockets and his posture was stiff.

"What's going on here?" Gray's voice was monotone and devoid of any and all emotion. It freaked her out. With hesitant steps, she walked towards Natsu, making sure to keep a respectable distance between them. Natsu's once chipper smile had fallen as his eyes flashed between the two ex-lovers.

"Gray meet Natsu, Natsu meet Gray." She sucked in a sharp breath and forced on a smile. "Natsu is my _friend_ and Gray is my ex-husband, which I'm sure you figured out by now." She flashed a smile at Natsu and he loosened up slightly, raising an eyebrow as his gaze turned back to Gray's stoic figure.

"It's good to see you again. What's it been? Like twenty years or something?"

"Or something." Gray grunted.

"You two know each other?" Lucy couldn't stop her surprise from filtering into her voice and both men turned to look at her.

"We were in foster care together." Natsu supplied with a slight shrug.

"Wow, what are the chances?" She muttered beneath her breath.

"Anyway… I guess I should get going." Natsu shrugged and suddenly her heart hurt. She didn't _want_ him to go. She had been looking forward to their movie night for days. She wanted him to stay… But, with Gray and Leo here…

Well, she wasn't ready for him to meet Leo. Meeting her son was a big step… What if Leo got attached and then, for some reason, he left?

What if she got attached and he left?

She gulped past the pain that torpedoed her and nodded slightly at her salmon-haired friend. "Talk tomorrow?"

"Of course." He took two giant steps towards her and wrapped her up in a giant hug. Her breasts pressed into his chest and her hands came up to wrap around his neck, tangling in his hair. His lips accidentally brushed the nape of her neck and she couldn't stop an extremely soft moan from escaping her slightly buzzed lips. He stiffened momentarily before shifting his head so that his lips tickled her ear as he hotly whispered, "Mousetrap."

She sucked in a harsh breath and he backed up from her, leaving her feeling all hot and bothered. Gray's cold, knowing, eyes pinned her and she shrunk beneath his icy gaze. With a slight wave Natsu dodged for the door and disappeared.

Instantly, she missed his comforting presence.

"What the _fuck_ , Lucy?" Gray snapped. His voice wasn't heated or raised, but filled with a kind of pain that she didn't want to vocalize.

"We're just friends. Leo wasn't supposed to be here tonight. It's not like I was letting some new person into our son's life." She kept her voice level as she made her way over to the couch and sat down. Gray, immediately, began to pace in front of her. She wound her hands together as the unfair feeling of guilt crept up inside of her.

"Have you always been _just_ friends?" He stopped pacing and watched her reaction, analyzing her every minute response.

She gulped, her large yes glued onto the man that had once been her entire life. Guilt swamped her and she found that she couldn't hide the truth. "No… It wasn't always just friends."

"So… You slept with him."

She didn't need to answer. Gray sighed, his once stiff posture falling apart as he collapsed onto the couch beside her. Instinctively, his hand found hers and their fingers wove together. It was such a familiar and comforting feeling that she couldn't help but lean into it. She squeezed his hand and let her head fall onto his shoulder.

"I'm sorry…" She muttered, the words soft and broken.

He shook his head before he rested his head on top of hers. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about. After all, we're divorced now."

"Still…"

He sighed. "Yea, still…"

"But, um, we're just friends now. I'm not ready for anything more and he feels the same way."

"You sure about that?"

The question in his voice irked her and she gently jabbed him with her elbow. "Yea, 'course I am."

"If you say so." He muttered. The words were shaky and filled with the renewed realization that they were truly over. "This is harder than I thought it would be."

She twisted so that she could look at him. His eyes were stormy and his fingers briefly tightened around hers before he let go. "What is?"

"Being divorced. Not being here. Moving on." He gulped and leaned forward, gently resting his forehead against hers for a few blissful seconds before he leaned back and scooted away from her. "Thinking about you with someone new…"

"We'll figure this whole thing out, won't we?" She hated the way that her voice quivered.

"Yea… Yea we will. For Leo."

A sad smile lifted the corners of her lips and she nodded. "For Leo."

* * *

Natsu leaned back against Lucy's apartment door. His head banged lightly against the wood and he pinched his eyes shut.

Gray…

Seeing her ex and simply knowing that he existed were two _very_ different things.

His heart beat painfully within his chest and he curled his hands into tight fists as he pushed himself off of her door. The look that Gray had shot him had been nearly murderous. But, what was even worse, was the flicker of guilt that he had spied in Lucy's eyes.

She regretted sleeping with him… Did she regret their friendship too?

As he stepped into the elevator his heart lurched as it began its descent back down to the lobby. Lucy consumed his thoughts, inhabiting every corner of his brain, and he couldn't seem to shake her. An irrational thread of jealousy wormed its way up and nestled in his chest as he thought about her in her apartment with Gray. What were they doing? Was it really over between them? After all, they had a kid…

He shook his head and grunted as the elevator dinged and he stepped out into the lobby. He knew the questions that were currently bouncing around inside his brain were dumb, stupid, selfish, and even ignorant. Yet… He couldn't deny the painful ' _thump-thump_ ' of his heart. He was starting to fall for her… The beautiful, blonde woman who had come barreling into his life like a torpedo. He felt like he was out on a ledge. Memories from his past, of Lisanna and mistakes so numerous that he couldn't even count them, flared through his mind.

He didn't want to screw this up too.

As soon as he stepped out into the cool, night air he turned around to glance up at the building one more time. He wanted to text her, like he always did, but _Gray_ was there. His fingers twitched around his phone as he fought the urge to message her. He'd just have to man up and wait until tomorrow to ask her how she was and…

His face flushed and he turned away from the building. He walked briskly as he made his way down the silent streets. He would ask her because, for some inexplicable reason, he wanted her there. He wanted to see her cheering face in the crowd. He wanted to show off his prowess. He wanted to _impress_ her.

So, he would suck up his jealousy and ask her to the firefighter's tournament under the guise of friendship, even though his heart was beginning to yearn for more.

"Fuck it." He muttered beneath his breath. "I am a truly, terrible friend."

~ Author's Note ~

I'm so sorry! I was accepted into University, so I went apartment hunting and moved. Plus, my internet decided not to work and all of this led to me not being able to get any writing done. I feel so terrible about it! I really, truly hope all of my amazing readers and reviewers from before will come back. I promise that I will be posting regularly again now.

I feel like this chapter is missing something, I just can't figure out what. I know how I want the rest of the plot for this story to go and right now I am aiming for a total of 10 chapters I think. Depending how in-depth it gets, it might get bumped up to 12 or 15. There is still so much to be revealed! I can't wait to read your reactions to everything.

Please, review! Your reviews are what make me keep coming back and writing no matter how much life gets in the way.

~ FeudalAi


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy stared at her phone, impatiently waiting for the tell-tale 'ding' of a text message. She hadn't heard from Natsu since Gray had unexpectedly popped in and it had already been a few days. He couldn't be mad at her, right? Her brows furrowed as she tossed her phone aside, angry at herself for presuming that Natsu would, for some reason, be bothered by meeting her ex.

"Screw him." She muttered. She sucked in her lower lip and chewed on it softly as her eyes pinched shut. Her heart clenched.

He wasn't just going to disappear, was he?

She opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom. Leo was sound asleep in the other room and the craziness from only a few nights ago was long forgotten in his toddler brain. But, she hadn't forgotten it. She hadn't forgotten the way that Gray had stiffened up. She hadn't forgotten the jealousy that she had spied hidden within his dark eyes. She was confused about her own feelings. They all swirled together into a nasty combination in her gut that made her feel nauseous. She gagged slightly and bolted up, her eyes darting over to her phone as it suddenly began to ding.

Natsu: _[Hey. Sorry I've been absent. Some stuff came up.]_

Lucy sat, wide-eyed, as she read the message over and over again. She couldn't help but wonder if he was really telling her the truth. Something felt off in his words, like something wasn't quite right. Still, she took a deep breath and forced herself to reply.

Lucy: [Of course. Don't worry about it. Is everything okay?]

Natsu: _[Yea. Everything is alright. So, how did everything turn out the other night?]_

Lucy: [It was fine. Leo just had a bad nightmare. Gray left shortly after you did. No big deal. Normal stuff for a Mom. Why… Does it bother you?]

Natsu: _[Of course not! You're a mom. You told me that pretty early on.]_

Lucy: [I know but… You seem off.]

Natsu: _[You're overthinking things]_

Lucy: [No I'm not. You're being weird. You didn't text me for days.]

Natsu: _[Well, you didn't text me either!]_

Lucy: [So?]

Natsu: _[You're overreacting a bit.]_

Lucy: [Whatever, Natsu. It was a jerk move not texting me and trying to make me feel bad about Gray.]

Natsu: _[That's not what I was doing.]_

Lucy: [Yea, right.]

Natsu: _[Think whatever you want to. Whatever. I'll text you later when you're not as pissy.]_

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Lucy spat as she rolled over and shoved her head into her pillow. She had overreacted, just like Natsu had claimed. She ground her teeth and only stopped when the metallic taste of blood danced across her tastebuds. Her emotions had gone haywire. She couldn't understand herself.

She had just reacted like… Like…

Like a wronged girlfriend.

Which, of course, she wasn't. She wasn't his girlfriend and she hadn't been wronged by him. He hadn't done anything wrong. With a groan, she opened up her text messages and re-read them. Her heart beat painfully with every word that she looked over as she silently cursed herself.

Still, she wasn't ready to admit to him that she knew that she had been wrong. She wasn't ready to admit that she had overreacted. She wasn't ready to admit that her overreaction was possibly due to the fact that maybe… Just maybe… She might _actually_ like him.

With a grumble, she stood up and turned off her light. She had to get to sleep. Leo would be up early, just like he always was, and she didn't feel like chasing after him half-asleep all day. As she crawled underneath her covers she stared at her now dormant phone and sighed.

"Please, forgive me, Natsu."

* * *

Natsu couldn't believe the rage that swirled within his chest. It didn't make any rational sense. He shouldn't be mad that Gray had shown up. He shouldn't be hurt by the sight of Lucy with her family. What happened that night _shouldn't_ bother him, yet it did. He couldn't explain it. All he knew was that it did. He chucked his phone across the room and smirked when he heard the soft 'thud' of it hitting the couch.

What was wrong with him?

He would have to apologize to Lucy tomorrow. Yea, she had overreacted, but still… He shouldn't have picked a fight. Anger, once again, boiled in his chest as a part of him wanted to blame their semi-fight on her… But, the truth was, he _had_ avoided texting her for days. He hadn't been able to deal with his own feelings after leaving her apartment that night. He had just kept thinking about her with Gray, their skin on each other, as they spent years of wedded bliss together. Yea, they had gotten divorced. But, they had still loved each other, for a very long time, and he just wasn't sure how to deal with that yet.

Being a part of Lucy's life meant being a part of Leo's and Gray's as well and, honestly, he just wasn't sure if he was ready for _that_ level of responsibility. It was no small measure, inserting himself into a child's life.

Fuck, it was all too much damn responsibility.

Memories of his rambunctious days floated in his mind. Partying, drinking, and so much sex… A part of him missed it. A part of him longed for it. Yet, a much larger part of himself wanted more. He wanted real happiness. He wanted a healthy relationship with a woman whom he could love, whom he could one day marry and have a family with. He wanted more than an alcohol induced kind of pseudo-happiness.

He wanted more.

Lucy could never be that for him. She had too much on her plate… Too much baggage.

She was a friend, nothing more. He just had to remember that. Every time that he felt that flicking in his heart he needed to force himself to remember that she would never be more than a friend to him. Letting himself fall for Lucy would lead to disaster, and he knew it.

Falling for Lucy was out of the question.

He heard a quiet 'meow' seconds before he felt Happy crawl onto his stomach. His reassuring weight made a smile spread across Natsu's face as he instinctively reached up to scratch behind Happy's ear. A resounding purr echoed back to him.

"At least I can always count on you lil' buddy."

Happy's purr was his only reply.

"I should suck it up and still ask her to the tournament, shouldn't I boy?"

Happy's front paws kneaded into him, gently massaging his chest as the blue cat stretched out before curling into a ball. Natsu laughed slightly.

"I'll take that as a yes." He scratched behind Happy's ear a bit more before he yawned and closed his eyes as sleep claimed him. That night, he was tormented by visions of blonde hair, enchanting eyes, and feelings that he didn't want to name.

* * *

Gray sat, alone, on a barstool. He lifted his head just enough so that he could peer through his bangs at the few other patrons that currently inhabited the dimly lit space. There were only three other people. The bar was practically empty and he suddenly felt like a low-life for even being there.

This… This wasn't like him.

Usually, if he wanted a drink, he would just drink at home. But, he wanted to start getting back out there. He wanted to _meet_ someone. He had Leo every weekend which only left him with the weekday crowd. Still, this dive bar was definitely the wrong pick for finding a woman. He groaned as his eyes travelled back to the bourbon in his glass.

Fuck it, he wanted another.

His fingers circled around the cool glass and he lifted it to his lips before downing the remaining contents. His throat burned delightfully and he breathed out deeply through his nose. When he finally opened his eyes, he opened his wallet and pulled out enough cash to cover his bill. Tonight… Tonight was not the time to get drunk. Even if he wanted to… This was not the time nor the place.

The doorbell chimed softly as he exited. The cool, night breeze chilled his body and he rolled his shoulders, thoroughly enjoying the moment. He missed winter. Summer was just too damn hot. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he meandered his way home. That was the one good thing about that bar… It was close. As scummy and rundown as it was, it felt oddly homey, in a way that his empty house never did.

Honestly, he kind of hated his rental. When Leo was there, it felt like home. It was lively and full of laughter. But, when Leo wasn't there, it just felt empty. He hated that feeling. He had grown used to being a _family_. He had grown used to having Lucy and Leo around. Now, being on his own, was like being suffocated.

He had only known loneliness like that once before in his life and he wasn't particularly keen on feeling it again.

Images of his time in foster care flashed in his mind. He had felt so completely alone. He had been sure that no one loved him. It had taken him ages to figure out what love was and even longer to figure out _how_ to love. Still, memories of being a scared, five year-old child, carrying a garbage bag filled with his few belongings while standing on the steps of his next foster parents' house, terrified him.

As soon as he stepped through his front door, he shed his clothes. They fell off of him like a second skin; useless. By the time he crawled into his bed, only his boxers remained and that was sheerly out of habit. He had always slept naked before. But, after Leo was born and began to learn how to walk, he had been forced to change his routine. Now, sleeping without his boxers felt odd and unnatural.

Almost as odd and unnatural as not having Lucy's warm body beside him…

He grunted and shook off the memory. He didn't want to think about _her_. He wasn't in love with her, not in _that_ way anymore. He loved her as the mother of his child. He loved her as his best friend. He loved her as the person he could always rely on. But, he didn't _love_ her in the way a husband should love his wife. Not anymore at least.

One thing was for sure though, he was sick of being alone. He was sick of sleeping alone. He was sick of spending his few free moments alone. Before he had met Lucy he was used to being alone. He had been independent and self-reliant. Being alone had never bothered him. Then, he met Lucy and she flipped his whole world upside down. As time went by he couldn't imagine his life without her. He had started to hate the days without her, when loneliness would press down upon him. That's when he had realized that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her… That he wanted to marry her.

He cringed.

Well, most marriages didn't work out anyways. Everyone goes into it thinking they will last forever, but the truth is that half of them don't. Still, that didn't help his conscious. The idea of marriage now thoroughly stressed him out. What if he got married, had another child, and then got divorced again? He just couldn't go through that again. He couldn't put a _child_ through that again. He felt bad enough as it was to have Leo grow up in a broken home. He wouldn't ever put another child in that same situation if he could help it.

He kicked his blanket off of himself, sweltering even though he had the air conditioning blasting. "Fucking summer." He whispered as he stared up at his ceiling. He _so_ wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight. With a frustrated sigh, he rolled over and grabbed his laptop off of his bedside table.

If he wasn't going to sleep, he might as well get some work done instead.

* * *

Lisanna wrinkled her nose at him, her eyes lighting up in disdain. "You want _how_ many tickets to the Firefighter's Tournament?"

Natsu grunted and placed his hand defiantly on his hip. "Two adults, one child. Like I already told you."

"But, you don't _know_ anyone with a child." She nearly spit her words as her hands immediately gravitated towards her extended belly. His eyes flashed down to it, but he didn't feel the frustration that he once had. He didn't feel upset. Truthfully, he could care less. As that realization sunk into him, his face lit up.

He had absolutely no feelings for her anymore.

Memories of when they were together briefly swirled through his mind. But, now that he thought about it, they were never truly happy. They were always pretending. They were always hoping that they were actually happy, yet they stabbed each other in the back. The truth was that they should have never tried to be more than friends.

Just because you have a good friendship does not mean that you will have a good relationship.

"They're new." He replied simply.

"But, who are they?"

Natsu narrowed his eyes. "It doesn't matter. It is my own, private business. Just like whatever is between Bixslow and you."

Lisanna's eyes widened and her mouth popped open into a petite, round 'o' shape. "You like her." Her words were breathless and nearly impossible to hear.

He sighed and leaned back onto his heels, rocking slightly. "I gotta go. Just leave that many tickets at the booth under my name."

"Oh, okay, Natsu…" She whispered as her hand scribbled his request down on the form in front of her.

With a slight smile, Natsu turned and left. Now, all he had left to do was to actually _ask_ Lucy to come. He reached for his phone and flipped open his text messages as he maneuvered his way through the mostly empty streets. His last messages with Lucy stared back at him, taunting him, and he couldn't help but cringe. Still, he needed to do this.

Natsu: [Hey, Lucy. To tell you the truth, seeing Gray did bother me. But, not like you thought. I just wasn't expecting it. I wanted to meet Leo one day, when you were ready, when we knew each other better… I just didn't expect to come face-to-face with your jealous ex-husband that night. It threw me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lied about it bothering me. But, I have a question for you.]

Natsu took a deep breath and shoved his phone back in his pocket. His heart hammered as his nerves vibrated throughout his entire being. It wasn't until he finally entered his apartment and plopped down on the couch that his phone dinged. Happy crawled onto his lap and, with bated breath, he checked his message.

Lucy: _[What's the question?]_

Lucy: _[And, I'm sorry too. I know that I overreacted. I wasn't ready for everyone to meet and it was so out of the blue and I just didn't handle it well. At least Leo was so tired he doesn't remember anything.]_

Natsu: [In two weeks, there will be a Firefighter's Tournament. I was hoping that you and Leo, even Gray if he wants to, will come and watch me compete. It's really fun. There will be food and games for kids before the main competition starts. Plus, you can see me in my uniform which is a total bonus.]

Lucy: _[In two weeks?]_

Natsu: [Yea. Two weeks. If you won't be ready for me to meet Leo then I don't even need to come say hi to you guys. But, I really think that the both of you would enjoy it.]

Lucy: _[That sounds fun. I don't know if Gray will come, but I will invite him. I think that Leo would like it and… and I think it would be cool for him to meet you there when you're all decked out in your uniform. He will think you're some kind of superhero or something.]_

Natsu: [Great! Well, do you wanna do something this weekend like usual?]

Lucy: _[I'd like that. Let's go out this time. Back to that bar we like. Sound good?]_

Natsu: [See you then, Lucy.]

Natsu leaned his head back against the couch and his whole body went limp. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and his hands clenched into fists. Well, now that she was coming, he was gonna seriously have to pummel everyone else at that competition.

"I'm all fired up now, Happy." Ecstasy laced his voice as he reached to gently scratch behind Happy's ears. The cat simply meowed vocally in response.

Things were starting to turn around. He was truly over Lisanna and her nearly-due baby bump. Lucy had forgiven him. He was going to get to show off for her and look sexy in his uniform while doing it.

He was going to get to really meet Leo…

A sudden flood of nerves washed through him as he thought about the little boy that he had seen cradled within Lucy's arms. He could tell that a part of him was starting to fall for her, as much as he didn't want to, and if he ever even wanted a chance with her then he would have to be able to get along with, and learn to love, her son. A new kind of nervous energy swirled within his gut as he thought about being a dad.

He wasn't ready to be someone's dad. At least, not yet.

He shook his head. He was thinking _way_ too far in the future if he was even considering the remote possibility of being Leo's second dad. Lucy, as far as he knew, didn't even like him _that_ way. She wasn't ready for something serious. After all, she just got out of a marriage!

"Stop fucking around." He muttered as he ruffled his salmon locks. Lucy wasn't someone to play around with. She had a family, like a real one. There was one thing he knew for sure though…

He would never make a move on her until he was truly sure that it wasn't just some passing phase. He wouldn't make a move on her until…

He gulped.

He wouldn't make a move on her until he loved her.

His cheeks flushed pink and he bent forward to shove his face into Happy's blue-gray fur. "I think I'm screwed, little buddy."

Happy only meowed in response.

So much for his earlier resolve to _not_ fall for her.

Fuck…

* * *

Lucy couldn't stop the grin that lit up her face. For two days straight now, ever since Natsu had asked her to the tournament, she hadn't been able to stop smiling. Now, she sat on a bench as she watched Leo run around the playground. He was ultra-hyper today and she just had to get him to the park. He was a bouncing ball of energy and she couldn't help but laugh as he enthusiastically played hide-and-go-seek with another little boy, maybe a year older than him.

She still hadn't invited Gray to the tournament yet, but she would. She just wasn't sure how to invite him without pissing him off. She had to make sure that he didn't think that she was trying to replace him. She wasn't even dating Natsu… But, even if she was, no one would ever be able to steal Gray's place in Leo's life. She just… She wasn't sure how to make Gray understand that. It was a tricky situation. She could see how much it had bothered Gray when he caught Natsu at her place. They weren't even doing anything bad, yet she could see the jealousy that laced his eyes.

She hadn't known how to process that.

This whole divorced, duel-parenting thing, was fucking difficult.

Her eyes wandered after Leo's laughing form. She felt this warm glow spread throughout her as she watched him play. He was just so damn happy, in the way that only a child could be.

Then, everything shifted.

She heard a sharp cry as Leo slipped on the grass and crashed onto his side at an awkward angle. For a moment, her soul floated outside of her body as she froze in fear. Then, her adrenaline kicked into gear. She bolted off of the bench and dashed towards her bawling, baby boy. Even before she reached him, she could tell that something was wrong. His left arm was bent the wrong way and his skin was already beginning to discolor. Panic flooded her system. Her heart hammered away in her chest as she knelt down next to him. His screams stilled the entire playground and, as she took in the sight of his puffy red eyes, snot oozing nose, and the even more horrific sight of the fresh bruises that covered his arm, she felt like she was going to be sick. She felt vomit raise in the back of her throat, tasted it on her tongue, but she forcibly swallowed it.

Leo.

Leo was all that mattered now.

She shifted into emergency mode. "I know it hurts baby." She reached forward and wiped his tears and snot from his face. "Now, tell me where it hurts the most, okay?" Her calm voice seemed to somewhat soothe him, because he hiccuped and nodded at her request. With gentle fingers, she began pressing from his wrist up to his elbow. As soon as she came within a few inches of the bruise he yelped and she scooped him up into her arms. "It's going to be okay. I'm gonna bring you to the doctor and they are gonna make you all better."

Leo circled his good arm around her neck while the other hung limply at his side. She ran as fast as she dared with him in her arms. She could see the other parents watching her, criticizing her, fearing for her and her child. She could hear their gasps as they saw his arm. She ignored the judgmental whispers and worried glances. She didn't care. She didn't care what any of them thought of her. All that she cared about was the child within her arms.

"I want Daddy." He whimpered. She simply nodded in response. She wanted Gray too.

No, it was more than that. _They needed Gray_.

It didn't take long before she got Leo buckled into his car seat and was driving, as fast as she safely could, to the hospital. She pulled into the closest parking spot and took out her crying boy. She ran into the emergency room, demanding immediate treatment. She knew that it wasn't the nurse's fault, and that she shouldn't yell, but panic was currently living within her heart like an evil beast. Thankfully, as soon as that first nurse saw the state that her child was in, she ushered them behind the emergency room doors and into a patient room. It was only after she had managed to completely calm Leo down after the doctor had made embarrassing quacking noises, and her little boy was taken to get an x-ray, that she _finally_ had a chance to call Gray. With her nerves beginning to subside, the taste of bile was back in her throat, as she waited for Gray to pick up the phone.

 _"_ _Hello?"_

"First of all, I need you to know that Leo is okay."

 _"_ _Lucy, what's wrong?"_ Fear laced Gray's voice and she knew that she needed to get to the point.

"Leo tripped at the playground. I think he broke his arm. We are at the hospital downtown now. He is okay. The doctor made him laugh and he is getting an x-ray now."

 _"_ _What the fuck!"_ His breathing was deep and heavy. She could hear him shuffling through something, probably shoving his paperwork to the side as he desperately sought out his keys.

"He wants you. He wants his Daddy."

 _"_ _How could you let this happen?"_ Gray snapped. The accusation in his voice flipped her stomach because, even though she knew that it wasn't fair, she had been thinking the same thing ever since the first moment she had heard him cry out.

"He was just playing with the other kids and slipped on the grass! It wasn't my damn fault. It wasn't my damn fault!" Her bottom lip trembled and she sucked in a sharp breath as tears stung her eyes. She heard Gray's voice hitch and she angrily wiped away her bubbling tears.

 _"_ _Sorry Lucy. I shouldn't have said that. I'm on my way. I'll be there in twenty."_

He hung up the phone and Lucy suddenly felt drained. Every muscle in her body went limp as she leaned back in her hard, plastic chair. Her heart still hammered in her chest and her mind kept re-playing the moment that Leo had cried out.

She knew that she would never forget that cry. It would be imprinted upon her memory until the day that she died.

Gray finally got to the hospital only moments after Leo was brought back from having his x-rays taken. As soon as Leo saw Gray, his face lit up in a way that Lucy had never seen before. Gray hopped in like a superhero, wrapping his little boy in his arms and making him laugh. In that moment, Leo forgot all of the pain that he had been in.

In that moment, they were a family again.

The doctor came in and diagnosed Leo with a greenstick fracture. He let Leo pick out the color of his cast, bright red, before making them wait nearly an hour before getting it all wrapped up. By the time the mild pain killers kicked in and after all of the excitement, Leo was fast asleep long before they got back home. Gray carried their little boy in his arms and gently tucked him into bed before collapsing onto the couch with Lucy, a deep sigh leaving his lips.

"Well, that was some day." He muttered.

She looked over at him only to find his eyes closed. Bags hung underneath his eyes and she suddenly knew that he hadn't been sleeping well. Without even thinking about it, she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Yea, it sure was." She placed her hand on his forearm and felt his muscles tense. "You haven't been sleeping, have you?"

She felt him shake his head before resting his on top of hers. "Not really."

"Why not?" Her voice was barely more than a heated whisper.

"Honestly? I don't know."

"C'mon. You can tell me." She nudged him slightly, poking his ribs with her finger.

He chortled and nuzzled against her head, just like he used to. Suddenly, she was transported back to when they were happy, when Leo was just a baby and they would collapse together, exhausted, after finally getting him to fall asleep."I think this whole divorce thing has just been a lot harder on me than I thought it would be."

She squeezed his arm, her heart aching with an eerily familiar feeling of grief. "Me too. Really… I knew it would be hard, but I didn't think that it would be _this_ hard." She took a deep breath and molded against him, her body easily remembering the exact way that she used to fit into the gentle curve of his body. "I was so scared today. Terrified, actually. I don't know… I don't know what I would have done if we had lost him." Immediately, her tears bubbled over again and her body convulsed as she remembered, again and again, the sound of Leo's blood-curdling scream.

Gray wrapped his arms around her and, if she payed attention, she could feel his body shaking as well. "I know, but it wasn't your fault Lucy. It wasn't your fault. He is a rambunctious kid and kids have accidents."

"You didn't hear his cry. I was so scared…" She shook and he began to rub her back, soothing her as he placed gentle, lingering kisses against her forehead. She leaned into him, melted into him, and didn't want to let go. He stilled the fear in her. He calmed a part of her that only he could reach. It was like he still had some kind of mythical power over her. Her tears began to slow and he leaned forward, wrapping an arm around her back and one beneath her knees, before he hoisted her up and carried her to her bedroom. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him with all that she had.

As he stepped over the foothold of what used to be their bedroom, she fell into their past. Memories washed over her in a never-ending brigade. They marched over her, destroying her heart as she found herself pulling herself up and pressing a kiss against the base of his neck. His pulse quickened beneath her lips and he stilled momentarily. Then, she kissed his neck again, a little further up this time, and he quickly tossed her onto her bed before clambering on top of her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him in tight, as her fingers searched for the edge of his shirt.

It was only then, as her fingers brushed his taught stomach, that he reached up a hand to still her. His eyes locked with hers, passion and need swirling within their dark depths, as he forced words passed his lips. "Are you sure?"

She licked her lips. Fear still clung to the corners of her heart and all that she knew was that she wanted to fall into something familiar. They had always been restrained around each other after their separation. They had never fallen into temptation.

But, what was so wrong with one last, lustful, farewell?

Her brain was cloudy with need as she felt something stiff and familiar press against where her legs held her tightly to him. She had been so fucking scared earlier and all she had wanted was him by her side in the hospital. Leo's Dad. Her ex-husband. The man that she thought she would spend the rest of her life with.

As wrong as it might be, she wasn't going to deny herself this. They both wanted it. They both wanted to fall into the person that they had once devoted their life too. She could feel it.

She leaned up and pressed her lips against his. His mouth opened and his tongue toyed with hers in exactly the same way that she remembered. She leaned back from him, both of them panting slightly, as she managed to whisper a few simple words that would shake up their night. "Yes, I'm sure. Tonight… Tonight let's forget it all."

With a throaty moan, his lips crashed down upon hers again. He took her all in, embraced her every curve and fell into familiar, delicious patterns that they had spent years perfecting. In the darkness of night, he was hers and she was his once more, just for a few hours at least.

* * *

When Gray flopped to the side, satiated and exhausted, regret immediately swirled within his heart. Lucy breathed deeply beside him, her naked breasts heaving as she came down from her last orgasm. He couldn't stop a satisfied smirk from lighting up his face. He had missed this. He had missed seeing her like this. But, even more so, he had missed the intimacy. He had missed the sense of belonging that he had by her side. His hand sought out hers and she immediately entwined their fingers. She held his hand tightly, and he could tell from that one simple action that she was longing for the past too. As soon as her breathing leveled out, she turned her head to the side to meet his gaze. Worry etched her face.

Well, to be fair, he was worried too. They had just crossed a major line; one that should have never been crossed. After all, it wasn't like they were going to get back together. The situation hadn't changed.

They still…

He sighed and squeezed her hand.

They still weren't _in love_ with each other.

"We just made a huge mistake didn't we." His words were barely more than a whisper.

"Colossal." She replied. She squeezed his hand once more before letting go and rolling over to her side. She took a deep breath and sat up, her fingers reaching over the bed to snag her shirt and pull it back on. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled softly. "But, I don't really regret it."

At her soft words, he managed a small smile. He sat up and scooted across the bed to sit next to her. He reached over and ruffled her hair. "Me either."

She leaned into his side, just for a brief moment, before scooting away. "You should go. It would be confusing for Leo if you were here in the morning."

"You're right." With a defeated sigh, he stood up and threw on his clothes. Just as he was about to leave Lucy's room, his heart a mass of confused feelings, he turned back to look at her. In that moment, she looked exactly like she did the day that he had moved out. Pain-laced memories flared through his mind and he winced, hating seeing that look on her face for a second time.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. For everything."

"I'm sorry too, Gray. Really." She smiled up at him; a soft, sincere, smile that nearly broke his heart. He sucked in every last detail of her before he forced himself to walk out of the door, and their life, one more time.

He knew that he could never do something like this again. Lucy knew it too.

It was time for him to actually move on and stop holding onto the past.

~ Author's Note ~

Hey, everyone! Thanks for all of the reviews on the last chapter. I'm sorry this took me an extra week to get up. I've just been having a hard time getting into 'writing mode' lately. I hope you don't think that I sped up the speed of this story too much. I'm worried about making things move along too quickly, but I'm also only aiming for ten chapters as of now.

Also, just so you know, I plan to have this done before the school year begins.

Just in case there are any haters about what happened in the last part of this chapter, couples falling back together one last time after a breakup is extremely normal and natural. We may wish that things like that didn't happen, but that is reality. This story is about the realities of love, even the downfalls. I hope that you can still enjoy it even if you don't personally like what happened.

Please, review and let me know what you think!

~ FeudalAi


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